What is machine language?

Machine language is the lowest-level programming language that directly corresponds to the binary code understood by a computer's central processing unit (CPU). It comprises sequences of binary digits (0s and 1s) that are executed directly by the hardware, making it the most fundamental form of programming.

This language enables the CPU to perform operations such as arithmetic calculations, data movement, control functions, and interactions with memory. Each machine language is specific to a particular computer architecture, meaning that machine code is not universally applicable across different types of hardware.

High-level programming languages, in contrast, are designed to be more user-friendly, abstracting away the complexities of the machine language. They allow for easier coding by using syntax and vocabulary that resemble human language. Web development languages also fall into this category. Assembly language is one step above machine language and is a more readable representation of machine code that uses mnemonics and symbols, which still requires translation to machine language for the CPU to execute commands.