machine-specific code

noun

UK /məˈʃiːn spəˈsɪfɪk kəʊd/

US /məˈʃiːn spəˈsɪfɪk koʊd/

Code that only works on one kind of computer.

The game uses machine-specific code so it runs fast on that console.

SYNONYMS

platform-dependent code native code hardware-specific code non-portable code

RELATED WORDS

assembly language compiler instruction set portability binary

OTHER MEANINGS

2. Instructions written for a particular processor model.

The engineer wrote machine-specific code for the new chip.

3. Software that must be changed before it can run on another system.

Because it was machine-specific code, moving it to a laptop took weeks.

4. Low-level code tied to one device's hardware.

The driver contains machine-specific code for the printer.