What is Low Level Language? Types, advantages, disadvantages of low level language

Admin
22 Nov, 2023

In today's article, we are going to talk about Low-Level Language (Machine Language and Assembly Language).

low level language

What is low-level language?

A low-level language is a language that is very close to the machine. Meaning, that low-level language is very easy for computers to understand. Code written in a low-level language is well understood by computers. Therefore, most system software is written in a low-level language.

How many types of low-level languages ​​are there?

The Low-Level Language is divided into two parts which are as follows -
  1. Machine level language
  2. Assembly language
Let us now know one by one what is Machine level language? And what is assembly language?

What is machine-level language?

A computer does not know the language of us humans, it has its own separate language which is machine language or binary language (0 and 1).

Since computers know only machine language, we cannot use human languages ​​like English, Gujarati, Hindi, or Russian to give instructions to the computer or tell it what to do.

In such a situation, if we have to give any instruction to the computer, then we will also have to learn machine language or binary language (0 and 1). 

Machine language is the 1st generation of computer language. The instructions we give in machine language contain only 0 and 1, which are directly executed by the computer or machine because the computer knows only machine language, hence it can easily understand the code and execute it quickly.

Example-:  If I have to write 9 + 2 in the computer, that too with the help of machine language, then for this I will have to convert 9 +, 2 into binary code. Whose binary code would be something like this – 1001 00101011 0010  

Machine-level language is easy for a computer to understand but is very difficult from a programmer's point of view. Assembly language was developed with the aim of making it a little simpler.

What is assembly language?

Assembly language is the second-generation computer language. The set of instructions given in assembly language includes some English like commands or symbolic codes (ADD, PRINT, MOV, SUB, etc.) which are used in this. This type of code is called mnemonic.

Writing and understanding code or programs in assembly language became a little easier for the programmer as compared to machine-level language, but a little difficult for the computer, because the computer understands only machine language. 

In such a situation, we had to translate Assembly Language into  Machine Language. The name of the translator used for translation is  Assembler. 

Although writing programs in assembly language had become easier than before, it was still necessary for programmers to have a good knowledge of all the low-level details related to the computer's hardware.

In Assembly Language, data was stored in the registers of the computer and each computer had a different set of registers, due to which Assembly Language was not portable. Since Assembly Language was a low-level language, Assembly Language programs were executed very fast.

Difference between machine-level language and Assembly Language

Machine Language

Assembly Language

Machine Language is a low-level programming language.           

Assembly Language is an intermediate programming language between high-level programming language and machine language.

Machine Language is in the form of 0 and 1 (binary format) where 1 represents True while 0 represents false.         

Assembly language is English syntax (mnemonics), which is understood by the CPU after being converted into low-level language by interpreters and compilers.

It is very easy for computers to understand machine language or in other words, machine language is only for computers.

It is very difficult for computers to understand assembly language. We can say that assembly language is for humans.

CPU can directly understand Machine Language. No compiler or assembler is required.

Programmers can understand assembly language, however, CPUs cannot understand assembly language.

It is very difficult to remember the codes and instructions of machine-level language. 

Memorizing the codes and instructions of assembly language is a little easier than that of machine language.

Modification is not possible in machine language, it is made specially for a particular operating system.           

Making modifications in assembly language is not much more difficult than in machine language.

Machine language is used in CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray Discs, etc.     

Assembly language is used in the following applications - device drivers, low-level embedded systems, and real-time systems, etc.

Machine language is dependent on hardware.

Assembly language depends on the machine.

There is no need to translate machine language separately for the computer, the computer directly understands the machine language.

Assembly language does not need to be translated separately for the computer to understand it.

In machine language, programs execute faster because all the data is already in binary form.               

Assembly language executes a little slower than machine language because it has to be first converted into machine language so that the computer can understand it and execute it.

Key Difference Between Machine Level Language and Assembly Language

  • Machine Level Language is a low-level programming language. Which is quite easy for the computer to understand, whereas Assembly Language is an intermediate programming language between high-level language and machine language, hence Assembly Language is a little more difficult for the computer to understand than machine language. 
  • Machine-level language is in the form of 0 and 1, which is immediately understood by the CPU. Here 1 represents True while 0 represents false, whereas Assembly Language consists of English syntax (mnemonics), which is used by the interpreter. And is understood by the CPU only after converting it into low-level language by the compiler.
  • It is very difficult to memorize the codes and instructions of machine-level language whereas it is a little easier to memorize the codes and instructions of assembly language as compared to machine language.
  • Modification is not possible in Machine Language, it is made specifically for a particular operating system, whereas modification in Assembly Language is not more difficult than Machine Language.
  • Machine language depends on hardware and assembly language depends on the machine.
  • Machine language does not need to be translated separately for the computer. The computer directly understands the machine language, whereas assembly language does not need to be translated separately for the computer to understand.
  • Programs in machine language execute very fast because all the data is already in binary form and assembly language executes a little slower than machine language because it has to be first converted into machine language so that the computer can understand it and Can execute.

Advantages of Low-Level Language 

  • The program or software which is made in Low-Level Language is very fast and memory efficient.
  • Programs use the processor and memory very efficiently. 
  • In Low Level Language there is direct interaction with hardware.

Disadvantages of Low-Level Language

  • Programming takes a lot of time.
  • Programming is very difficult for the programmer.
  • Programs are machine-dependent and not portable.
  • It is difficult to develop, debug, and maintain.
  • Low-level programs are more error-prone.
  • For programming in a low-level language, the programmer must have additional knowledge of the computer architecture of the particular machine.
The low-level language was very difficult for programmers, hence high-level language was developed.

To know in detail about high-level language, click on the link given below.

Learn More...

Conclusion

If you liked this post, then do not forget to share this post with your friends so that they can also get information about what a is Low-Level Language.

If you still have any questions or doubts related to this topic, you can ask us through comments. I will answer all your questions and for more information, you can contact us.

To get information related to new technology, computer science, and computer fundamentals, subscribe to our website. So that you will get information about our upcoming new posts quickly.
Next Post Previous Post
No Comment
Add Comment
comment url