How does an interpreter/compiler work
How does an interpreter/compiler work? What is the difference between interpreter and compiler.
Answer
Compilers
Compilers were the first sort of translator program to be written. The idea is simple: You write the program, then hand it to the compiler which translates it. Then you run the result.
Interpreters
An interpreter is also a program that translates a high-level language into a low-level one, but it does it at the moment the program is run. You write the program using a text editor or something similar, and then instruct the interpreter to run the program. It takes the program, one line at a time, and translates each line before running it: It translates the first line and runs it, then translates the second line and runs it etc.
Compiler characteristics:
- spends a lot of time analyzing and processing the program
- the resulting executable is some form of machine- specific binary code
- the computer hardware interprets (executes) the resulting code
- program execution is fast
Interpreter characteristics:
- relatively little time is spent analyzing and processing the program
- the resulting code is some sort of intermediate code
- the resulting code is interpreted by another program
- program execution is relatively slow