For a long time, Second generation assembly languages were the only good option for development for many machines, such as the NES or the Commodore 64. Second generation languages are perhaps most significant in their place in computing history.
Assembly's main advantage, speed, has degraded by the fact that well written C code can often be as fast or even faster than hand written assembly The vast majority of programs are written in a third-generation programming language or a fourth-generation programming language. Programs are machine-dependent, so different versions must be written for every target machine architecture.Low-level memory and hardware details must be manually managed which is often bug-prone.Programming is expressed in terms of individual processor instructions, rather than higher level logic.Programming in second generation languages may yield speed benefits, but several disadvantages have led to its decline: In modern programs, second generation assembly languages are rarely used.
Second-generation languages are sometimes used for parts of kernels or device drivers, and are sometimes used in video games, graphics programs, and other intensive programs. The language is specific to a particular processor family and environment.To run on a computer it must be converted into a machine readable form, a process called assembly.
The code can be read and written by a programmer.Lines within a program correspond directly to processor commands, essentially acting as a mnemonic device overlaying a first generation programming language.Second-generation programming languages have the following properties: