Flashcards: Understanding Machine, Assembly, and High-Level Languages — 18 cards

Machine language — definition?

Binary instructions directly executed by the CPU.

Assembly language — role?

Uses mnemonics to represent machine instructions.

High-Level Languages — advantage?

Portable and easier to program across different hardware.

Compiler vs Interpreter — difference?

Compiler translates entire code before execution; interpreter translates line-by-line at runtime.

Loading — process?

Copying executable into memory for running.

Linking — purpose?

Combines object files, resolves references.

Relocation — function?

Adjusts addresses when loading at different memory locations.

Macros — role?

Automate code expansion before compilation.

Debugger — purpose?

Interactively find and fix program errors.

Process — definition?

Program in execution with resources and state.

Process Control Block — stores?

All info about a process, including state and resources.

Context Switch — mechanism?

Saves current process state, restores next process.

Interprocess Communication — purpose?

Enable data exchange and synchronization between processes.

Shared Memory — method?

Processes access common memory region for data sharing.

Message Passing — method?

Processes send/receive messages to communicate.

Operating System — role?

Manages hardware/software resources and acts as intermediary.

System Calls — function?

Request services from the OS.

Booting — process?

Starting the computer and loading the OS.