Machineexecutable

Machine-executable code refers to binary instructions that a computer's processor can execute directly. It is the form produced after translating human-readable source code into a sequence of opcodes specific to a processor's instruction set. Machine-executable code is inherently architecture-specific: a program compiled for x86 will not run on an ARM processor without recompilation or translation.

Creation of machine-executable code typically involves compiling source code in languages such as C, C++, or Rust into an executable binary. Assembly language is assembled directly into machine code. Some languages use just-in-time compilation or runtime generation to produce executable machine code at run time. The resulting executable is usually packaged in a platform-specific format (for example, ELF on Linux, PE/COFF on Windows, or Mach-O on macOS) and may include libraries, data, and metadata.

Structure and execution of a machine-executable program involve a code section with instructions, data sections, and an entry point that the operating system loader transfers control to. It relies on an application binary interface and relocation information to interact with the operating system and libraries. Security measures such as executable permissions and digital signatures are commonly applied to prevent tampering or unauthorized execution.

Relation to other forms: Not all runnable code is directly machine-executable. Interpreted languages execute source or bytecode through a virtual machine or interpreter; just-in-time compilers generate machine code during execution. Bytecode and scripting languages may be portable across platforms, whereas true machine-executable code is tied to a processor architecture.