Machine code is a computer programming language consisting of hexadecimal or binary instructions that the computer can respond to directly. Machine code is written in machine language. Thus, a machine, i.e. a computer, can run it without any translation or conversion.
We also call it “machine language”. We call instructions that exist in machine code that machine instructions.
Most of today’s commercial or compact software is available in machine code. If the user discovers an error or any kind of error, they cannot make any corrections. They can’t do anything because the software isn’t in the form of human-readable programming language code.
We consider all instructions and code (programs) in a computer to be software. Without the software, the computer would be unusable, meaning it couldn’t do anything.
In machine code, each instruction causes the computer’s processor to perform a very specific task, such as store, jump, or load. CPU stands for central processing unit.
Machine code – a digital language
According to Wikipedia:
“Machine code is a strictly numerical language intended to run as fast as possible and can be thought of as the lowest level representation of a compiled or assembled computer program or as a primitive programming language, depending on document.”
“While it is possible to write programs directly in machine code, managing individual bits and calculating numerical addresses and constants manually is tedious and error-prone.”
“For this reason, programs are very rarely written directly in machine code in a modern context, but can be used for low-level debugging, program debugging, and assembly assembly.”
The source code of every human-readable programming language must eventually be translated into machine language by means of an interpreter or compiler. This is because computer hardware only understands long strings or zeros and ones, i.e. binary code.
Each CPU has its own machine language
Each computer’s processor has its own specific machine language. The processor reads instructions and processes them. They tell the processor what to do (simple tasks).
Instructions are made up of a number of bits. For example, in an 8-bit instruction, the first 4-bit part tells the processor what to do, while the second 4-bit part tells it what data to use. We call the first and second 4-bit parts the opcode and the operand, respectively.
According to TechTarget:
“Depending upon the processor, a computer’s instruction sets may all be the same length, or they may differ, depending on the specific instruction.”
“The architecture of the particular processor determines how the instructions are structured. Instruction execution is controlled by the CPU’s internal wiring or firmware.
Machine code – copyright
In an article in the Duke Law Journal, Pamela Samuelson wrote about machine code. It is so illegible that the US Copyright Office cannot determine whether a particular encrypted program is the original work of the author.
However, the United States Copyright Office allows copyright registration of computer programs.
If you can decompile the machine code of your program so that it can be read by humans, then your copyright claim is more likely to succeed.
