The
code produced by a
compiler.
Programmers write
programs in a form called
source code. The source code consists of
instructions in a particular
language, like
C or
FORTRAN.
Computers, however, can only
execute instructions written in a
low-level language called
machine language.
To get from source code to machine language, the programs must be transformed by a compiler. The compiler produces an intermediary form called object code. Object code is often the same as or similar to a computer's machine language. The final step in producing an executable program is to transform the object code into machine language, if it is not already in this form. This can be done by a number of different types of programs, called assemblers, binders, linkers, and loaders.
