Introduction

Programming is an increasingly in-demand skill in the digital age in which we find ourselves. One of the basic aspects of programming is understanding the difference between interpreter and compiler.

Compiler

Generally speaking, a compiler is a program that translates source code written in a high-level programming language into a low-level language that can be run directly on the machine. A source code file is compiled into an executable file that can be used to run the program. The build process is generally divided into three stages: analysis, optimization, and code generation.

Meta

In this stage, the compiler analyzes the source code and decomposes it into its basic syntactic and semantic components. This process It is called lexical analysis and syntactic analysis. Parsing defines how instructions must be written to be valid in the programming language. On the other hand, semantic analysis verifies that the code is structured correctly and that everything is coherent.

Operational

The next stage is source code optimization. Here, the compiler analyzes the code to see if its speed or efficiency can be improved. The goal of optimization is to reduce the execution time of a program and reduce the amount of memory required to run the program.

code generation

In the final stage, the compiler generates the machine code that is executable on the machine. This is code that works as a program and runs directly on the machine without the need for another program.

Interpreter

An interpreter is a program that executes another program. Instead of translating the source code to a file executable, the interpreter reads and executes the code directly. That is, the interpreter reads the source code line by line and translates it into machine code and executes it.

Differences

The main difference between a compiler and an interpreter is how the code is executed. While the compiler translates the code into an executable file that runs directly on the machine without the need for another program, the interpreter reads and executes the code line by line.

Speed

Speed ​​is also an important difference. A compiled program can be faster to run than an interpreted one. Compiled code runs directly on the machine, while interpreted code has the overhead of the lifetime of the interpreter, making it slower in comparison.

Portability

Another important difference is the portability of the code. Compiled code is platform-specific, that is, executable code created on one platform cannot be run on another. On the other hand, interpreted code is portable and can be run on any platform that has the interpreter installed.

Conclusion

In general, both tools (compiler and interpreter) are important world of programming. A programmer must consider which is the best option depending on the project requirements. So, to summarize, a compiler transforms high-level code into low-level code that can be executed on the machine, while an interpreter executes the code directly line by line.

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