ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE:

As computer field advanced, computer scientists felt the necessity of making computer
programming easier. They invented computer languages that are easy to remember and use.
These languages called assembly language uses mnemonic codes. for Example: For adding two
quantities X and Y, You may code as follows.
ADD X Y
ADD is called operation code that tells the computer what operation it has to perform. X
and Y are called operation addresses. These refer to the memory addresses where the quantities
you want to add are stored. X refers to the location of first quantity and Y the second quantity.
These are called symbolic address, since they do not refer to any fixed address. Software called
assembler translates this assembly language program into machine language program which you
can load into computer memory and execute.
When the program is loaded into memory for execution the symbolic addresses are
automatically converted into actual physical addresses of operands involved in an instruction.
Assembly language offers the following advantages:
a) The assembly language uses mnemonic codes, for programming. So it is easier for the
programmer to use assembly language than machine language for programming.
b) The assemblers, in addition to translating the assembler language program into machine
language, list the program statements (called source code) and also the syntax errors that the
programmer committed.
Ø Assembly language has certain disadvantages too:
a) One has to spend considerable time in writing the assembly language program.
b) An assembly language program has to be converted into machine language program using
assembly.
c) While it is easier to use than the machine language one still has to remember the operation
codes for various operations.