A first-generation programming language is
a machine-level programming language.
Originally, no translator was used to compile
or assemble the first-generation language.
The first-generation programming instructions
were entered through the front panel switches
of the computer system.
A first generation language is a grouping
of programming languages that are machine
level languages used to program first-generation
computers.
The instructions were given through the front
panel switches of these computers, directly
to the CPU.
There was originally no compiler or assembler
to process the instructions in 1GL.
The instructions in 1GL are made of binary
numbers, represented by 1s and 0s.
This makes the language suitable for the understanding
of the machine but very much more difficult
to interpret and learn by the human programmer.
The main advantage of programming in 1GL is
that the code can run very fast and very efficiently,
precisely because the instructions are executed
directly by the CPU.
One of the main disadvantages of programming
in a low level language is that when an error
occurs, the code is not as easy to fix.
First generation languages are very much adapted
to a specific computer and CPU, and code portability
is therefore significantly reduced in comparison
to higher level languages.
Modern day programmers still occasionally
use machine level code, especially when programming
lower level functions of the system, such
as drivers, interfaces with firmware and hardware
devices.
Modern tools, such as native-code compilers
are used to produce machine level from a higher-level
language.
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