Machine code is the basic language of all computers, consisting of “O” and “I” characters that determine actions. Programmers compile source code into machine code, which is read by the microprocessor in sets of characters. Machine code can be printed out as a dump using hexadecimal numbers.
Machine code is the essential or basic language that provides the foundation for all computers currently in operation. In essence, machine code is based on a stream of “O” and “I” characters, with the arrangement of the characters determining the nature of the action detailed in the message. Sometimes referred to as binary code, machine code has been the language of computers from the days of electronic brains in the 1940s to today’s computer systems.
When a programmer writes code for a program, source language instructions are compiled into a module output that makes use of this binary code. The machine code is then stored as an executable file until you access the file and command it to run. As the code is scanned and executed, the computer system reads the character arrangement and receives instructions on what to do next.
Reading the machine code is done by the microprocessor in the computer. In essence, the microprocessor can only read a certain number of characters at a time to accurately interpret the command. The determination of how many characters to read at a time is set by the perimeters within the executable file. For example, instructions may tell the microprocessor to read a consecutive string of 32 characters at a time. The processor will look at a thirty-two character set of machine code and implement the instructions found there before moving on to the next set of code in the sequence.
The use of machine code is also useful to programmers when trying to modify code or isolate some problem with the operation. When this is needed, the programmer often orders a printout of the actual code, called a dump. The dump will show the sequence of characters, although this simplified format will use hexadecimal numbers to represent every four bits of characters, making the printout much easier for the experienced programmer to read.
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