Source Code vs Object Code
Posted September 10, 2022 by Rohith ‐ 2 min read
ource Code is an assembly code or a high-level code- that a programmer generates (human-generated code). These types are comparatively very easy to read as well as modify. Object Code is a machine-understandable one. An object code comprises various low-level codes- that a translator or compiler generates from the source code.
Difference Between Source Code and Object Code are stated below
| Parameters | Source Code | Object Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generation of Code | A programmer generates a source code. Thus, it is human-generated. | A compiler or any other type of translator generates an object code. Thus, it is machine-generated. |
| Level of Code | This code is of a high-level type. | This code is of a low-level type. |
| Code Language | This type of code exists in plain text. It is because we write it using a high-level type of programming language. | This type of code exists in binary format. It is because it is a translated form of code that roots from the source code. |
| Understandable by Humans | Any human can understand a source code. | A machine can understand an object code- not a human. |
| Understandable by Machines | Machines cannot directly understand a source code unless translated. | Any machine can directly understand as well as execute an object code. |
| Languages Used for Writing Code | We write these types of codes in various high-level languages, such as Python, Java, C, C++, or the assembly language. | An assembler, a compiler, or any other form of translator writes these codes into the machine language from the source code. |
| Ease of Modification | One can easily modify these codes. | You cannot modify these codes. |
| Comments | A source code can have comments by the programmer for an overall better understanding. | An object code lacks any kind of comments for the machine to understand. |
| Number of Statements | As compared to the object code, the number of statements is comparatively less. | As compared to the source code, the number of statements is comparatively more. |
| Performance of Code | A source code performs way less than the object code because it is not very close to the machines. | An object code performs more and better than the source code because it is comparatively very close to the machines. |
| Relations with Assemblers, Compilers, Translators | The source code acts as the input to an assembler, compiler, or any other type of translator. | The object code acts as the output of an assembler, compiler, or any other type of translator. |
| System-Specific | It is not a system-specific type of code. | It is a system-specific type of code as it easily runs on machines. |
| Ease of Changes and Alterations | You can easily change the source code over the course of time. | You need to compile the source code or translate it using any other translator after making the necessary changes- so that it reflects in the recent object code (modified one). |