The program that processes the source code written in these languages is called a compiler. These languages are easier to learn and faster to write programs with than assembler language. Historically, most programs have been written in 'higher-level' languages such as COBOL, FORTRAN, PL/I, and C.

It requires knowledge of a particular computer's instruction set, however. Today, assembler programming is used only where very efficient control over processor operations is needed.

In the earliest computers, programmers actually wrote programs in machine code, but assembler languages or instruction sets were soon developed to speed up programming.

The object program can then be run (or executed) whenever desired.

The sequence of 0's and 1's that constitute the object program is sometimes called machine code.

The output of the assembler program is called the object code or object program relative to the input source program.

The assembler program takes each program statement in the source program and generates a corresponding bit stream or pattern (a series of 0's and 1's of a given length).

This sequence of assembler instructions, known as the source code or source program, is then specified to the assembler program when that program is started.

The programmer can write a program using a sequence of these assembler instructions.

Assuming the processor has at least eight registers, each numbered, the following instruction would move the value (string of bits of a certain length) at memory location 3000 into the holding place called register 8: L 8,3000

For example, a 'Load' instruction causes the processor to move a string of bits from a location in the processor's memory to a special holding place called a register.

Most computers come with a specified set of very basic instructions that correspond to the basic machine operations that the computer can perform.

Some people call these instructions assembler language and others use the term assembly language. An assembler is a program that takes basic computer instructions and converts them into a pattern of bits that the computer's processor can use to perform its basic operations.

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