High Level Languages
Description:
- High level lnaguages are the programming languages that programmers are farmiliar with. For exmple: Python and C++.
- The code written in high level languages are easy for humans to write and understand but need to be translated into machine code for a computer to understand and run it.
Advantages:
- One instruction in a high level language represents many instructions in machine code.
- The same code works on many different machines and processors.
- Code is easy to read, understand, and therefore, modify.
Disadvantages:
- Must be translated into machine code in order for a computer to understand it and execute instructions.
- There is minimal control over what the CPU actually does so programs will be less efficient and therefore, slower.
Assembly Language
Description:
- Assembly language is an example of a middle level language.
- Assembly language uses mneumonics which are predefined words to represnt the instructions needed to be executed.
Advantages:
- Instructions are shorter so more memory and storage space saved.
- Execution time is less because it is faster in speed.
Disadvantages:
- One instruction in assembly code usually only represents one instruction in machine code.
- Usually written for one type of machine or processor and will not work for any others.
- Code is quite difficult to read, understand and modify.
Machine Code
Description:
- Machine code is also known as low level language.
- The code consists of only 0's and 1's.
- Computers can directly interpret this type of language and execute its instructions.
Advantages:
- Commands in machine code can be directly executed without a translator.
- You control exactly what the CPU does and how it uses memory so programs will be more efficient therefore, faster.
Disadvantages:
- Code is very difficult to read, understand and modify.