What are assembly languages? What are its advantages and disadvantages?

Assembly Languages are structurally similar to machine language and the programmer uses symbolic names than numerical representation of operations. This reduces coding time and the amount of information the programmer has to remember. They use assembler to convert the program in to machine language (object program).
Assembly languages are also known as symbolic languages as they use symbols to represent the arithmetic and logical operations. Instead of using machine code operation numbers, the programmer can use mnemonics and symbolic operands which are very easy to learn and remember.
The programs written in Assembly Languages are machine dependant. They are not portable. There are many low level languages. They are machine dependant. For example
IBM – Assembly language.
ICL – System 4 user code.
Honey well – Easy coder.

Advantages:

  • Programs written in machine language are replaced by mnemonics which are easier to remember.
  • It is not required to keep track of memory locations.
  • Easy to make insertions and deletions.
  • Requires fewer instructions to accomplish the same result.

    • Disadvantages:

  • Programs written in such languages cannot be executed on small sized computers.
  • It takes lot of time to code or write the program, as it is more complex in nature.
  • Lack of portability of program between computers of different makes.