Werewolf

I'm so for posting this most likely in the wrong forum, but I am new, and I'll try not to do it again.

Well, we all know there is interpreted and compiled. Compiled is converted into computer code. I want to know, what is this computer code (x86 specifically I guess), because it just would help me understand a lot more things.

Jimbo

Machine code (the 1's and 0's) is a binary ( :eek: ) encoding for the instructions to give to the processing unit. Different PUs have different instruction sets, or architectures, which is why we have different assembly languages (i.e. x86, MIPS, PPC, etc...). Assembly languages are easily converted from what we can read to the actual machine code by simply taking the encoding for the operation and the registers involved, and putting it together into a n-bit value (where n is the number of bits supported by the PU, i.e. 32-bit or 64-bit) and then saving that to instructional memory. The PU reads this encoded instruction and carries out the operations specified.

DaWei

No need holding this erroneous opinion. Interpreted is converted into computer code, also. How else could the machine use it? It's merely a distiction as to the when, where, and how the conversion is accomplished.

Jim's answer is good. Understanding assembly language IS a help if you need to work under the hood or understand processes that are linked to the architecture and not the solution to a problem, per se. At sufficiently useful levels of abstraction knowledge of the underlying paradigm is not necessary.

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Abstraction doesn't make it impossible to write bad code; it makes it possible to write superior code.
Contributor's Corner: Grumpy on C++ Exceptions DaWei on Pointers