Source code and object code are two distinct forms of computer instructions.
Source Code
- Source code is the human-readable form of instructions written by a programmer.
- It uses a programming language, like Python, Java, or C++.
- Think of it as a recipe, with instructions for the computer to follow.
- Examples of source code include:
print("Hello, world!")(Python)System.out.println("Hello, world!");(Java)#include <stdio.h>(C)
Object Code
- Object code is the machine-readable form of instructions that the computer can directly execute.
- It is generated from source code by a compiler or interpreter.
- Think of it as the final dish, prepared from the recipe (source code).
- It is written in binary code, a sequence of 0s and 1s.
- Object code is usually not directly readable by humans.
Key Differences
- Readability: Source code is human-readable, while object code is machine-readable.
- Language: Source code is written in a programming language, while object code is in binary code.
- Execution: Source code needs to be compiled or interpreted into object code before execution, while object code can be directly executed by the computer.
Example
Imagine you want to create a program that calculates the sum of two numbers.
- Source Code:
num1 = 5 num2 = 10 sum = num1 + num2 print("The sum is:", sum) - Object Code:
00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 ... (binary code)
The source code is understandable by humans, while the object code is a sequence of binary instructions that the computer can execute.
