 <p>Check out this book, <a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0262640686" rel="nofollow noreferrer" title="The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles">The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles</a> it takes you step by step through several aspects of designing a computer language, a compiler, a vm, the assembler, and the computer. I think this could help you answer some of your questions.</p>