Page 217 - DCAP104_EXPOSURE_TO_COMPUTER_DISCPLINES

Exposure to Computer Disciplines

Notes
languages could build on and modify. It would have everything truly necessary and little more.
One might think that the lambda calculus would be a minimal example of this. However, it makes
no provision for mutability which is clearly a key concept to many languages. In addition the
lambda calculus has no concept of types, another important feature of modern languages. The
are no examples of a complete core language today.

11.2 Machine and Assembly Language

11.2.1 Machine Language
Machine language: A language that need not be modified, translated, or interpreted before it can
be used by the processor for which it was designed.
1. The operation codes and addresses used in instructions written in machine language can
be directly sensed by the arithmetic and control unit circuits of the processor for which the
language is designed.
2. Instructions written in an assembly language or a high-level language must be translated
into machine language before they can be executed by a processor.
3. Machine languages are usually used by computer designers rather than computer users.

(a) The machine language for a particular computer is tied to the architecture of the
CPU.

(b) For example: G4 Macs have a different machine language than Intel PC’s.
(c) We will look at the machine language of a simple, simulated computer.
Von Neumann Architecture

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