Machine Code: It's Not as Scary as You Think

The author, initially intimidated by low-level languages after starting with ActionScript, decided to conquer their fear of machine code. Focusing on ARM 64-bit assembly, they demystify the process. The article breaks down the core concepts: instructions, registers, and memory, using examples from both ARM and x86-64 architectures. Machine code instructions are simply numbers, encoded differently depending on the architecture (e.g., ARM's 'add' instruction versus x86's REX and ModR/M prefixes). While intricate, understanding these low-level details significantly boosts programming skills and overcomes the intimidation factor often associated with low-level programming.