Introduction
Computers are now an essential device in our daily lives. Computers can comprehend all instructions using programming languages, which we refer to as programmes. We transmit the instructions to computers through programmes to enable them to accomplish specific tasks.
Computer programs are further classified into two broad categories. They are low-level and high-level languages.
The major distinction between high-level and low-level languages is that programmers can easily comprehend, interpret, or build high-level language compared to machines. However, machines can easily understand low-level language in contrast to humans.
This article will attempt to highlight the main distinctions between high-level and low-level languages.
What is a Low-Level Language?
The low-level language is a language that isn’t abstract from hardware. Additionally, it is represented in either 0 or 1 form, which is in the format of machine instructions. The languages that fall under this category are Assembly language and machine level language.
Examples of Low-Level Languages
There are two kinds of low-level languages:
- Assembly Language
- Machine Code.
What is a High-Level Language?
A high-level programming language permits an individual programmer to write programs independent of the type of computer they use. High-level languages are classified as high-level since they are more like the human language than other machine languages.
If you are writing a program in high-level languages, you must focus on the logic behind the issue. A compiler must translate a high-level language to a low-level language.
Examples of High-level Languages
Below are examples of high-level languages:
- COBOL
- JAVA
- C
- C
Important Differences Between High and Low-Level Languages
High Level Language | Low Level Language |
The high-level language is programmer friendly. | Low-level languages are machine friendly, and machines can read them easily. |
High-level languages run quickly. | Low-level languages take a while to execute. |
High-level languages can be converted to machine-specific language by the compiler. | Low-level languages need just an assembler for assembling the language. |
High-level languages are not efficient in memory consumption. | Low-level languages are extremely efficient in terms of memory consumption. |
A high-level language is readily understood. | Low-level languages cannot be understood easily since it is a lengthy sequence of 0’s as well as 1s. |
Applications created in high-level languages are machine independent and portable. | Since low-level languages are not portable or machine-independent, they cannot operate on multiple computers. |
Maintenance and debugging is easier in higher-level languages. | It takes more time and effort for debugging and maintenance in low-level languages. |
Low-level languages mostly help to create less functional applications in which simple and precise features are acceptable, like electronic devices, CNC machines etc. On the other hand, high-level languages help construct extensive and operational applications with a long list of functions, such as software we use in industries, hospitals, factories, etc.
We hope you can now clearly comprehend the distinction between two different types of computer language and their numerous applications. We need both of them to make the best and most effective use of computer technology.