Compiler vs Interpreter: Key Differences

Learn about the crucial differences between compilers and interpreters and how they affect code execution and development.

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Compilation and interpretation are the two main methods of executing code in programming. For computers to understand and run high-level programming languages, compilers and interpreters are essential tools. While they have this in common, the way they go about achieving it and how it affects program performance are very different.

To better understand their respective functions in the software development process, this article will examine the main distinctions between interpreters and compilers.

What are compilers and interpreters? Compiler

The complete source code of a program produced in a high-level programming language is simultaneously translated into machine code (binary code) by a compiler, a specialized tool. Many phases of the compilation process are typical, including lexical analysis, syntactic analysis, semantic analysis, optimization, and code creation. A stand-alone executable produced by a compiler can be run directly by the operating system.

Interpreter

An interpreter, on the other hand, is a program that reads the source code of a program line by line and immediately executes it without first creating an intermediate machine code file. The interpreter quickly executes each instruction after translating it into machine code or intermediate code, rather than translating the entire program at once. This means that when a program is running, the source code is read and translated in real time.

Compare compilation and interpretation Execution process

The execution process is one of the main distinctions between interpreters and compilers. Before executing, a compiler converts the complete source code to machine code, creating a self-contained executable file. Because the conversion was done beforehand, the built software often runs faster. But the initial compilation procedure may take some time, especially for large programs.

An interpreter, on the other hand, does not create a standalone executable. Instead, it executes the source code line by line while reading and executing it...