Capterra Logo
Helping businesses choose better software since 1999

Capterra Glossary

Instruction

An instruction is a term used by computer programmers to describe an order that is given to a computer processor by a computer program. Computer instructions are typically communicated using binary code, a sequence of 0s and 1s that describe the action a computer system is expected to perform. Computer instructions have three components: operation code, an address field, and a mode field. Operation code identifies a specific action to be performed. The address field displays where registers (special storage areas that contain data that can be used to carry out an instruction) and memory are located. The mode field shows how the register and memory will work together to perform an operation.

What Small and Midsize Businesses Need to Know About Instruction

Any business that uses computers or computerized devices in the workplace most likely uses computer instructions to get a computer to perform a specific action. This is done by inputting information into a keyboard or other input device to initiate a computer operation. After the human input has been logged, the computer operating system translates the inputted instructions into binary, instructing the computer to facilitate a certain action in a language it can understand.

Related Terms