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1. What is Translator?

   • A translator is a person or tool that converts text or speech from one language to another.

2. Why do we need translator?

   • Computer program written using high-level language.
   • Only humans are capable to understand high-level language.
   • Translator - converts high level language code to the binary language code which machines can understand.

3. How many types of translators? What are they?

   • 2 types of translators
   • Compiler
   • Interpretor

Compiler

1. What is compiler?

   • Compiler is complex piece of software whose job is to convert source code (i.e) human understandable to machine understandable code (i.e) binary code in one go.

   • Before running a code we need to compile.

   • After compiled, the compiler translates the source code to machine executable code.
   • The executable code will run on the machine.
   • If we compile thr code in windows machine then the executable file extention would be .exe
   • Also we will get object file. (need not to worry)

Note: C is compiled programming language.

Interpreter

1. What is interpreter?

   • Interpreter is a software program written to translate source code (i.e) human understandable to machine understandable code (i.e) binary code but it does that by line by line.

   • Convert each line one by one to machine code on the fly (at run time).

   • Machine 2 also required machine code.

   • We don't get executable in response.

Note: JS is interpreted programming language.

Compiler vs Interpreter

• Compiler: Translate the source code to machine code in one go.
• Interpreter: Translate the source code to machine code line by line. It never generates the executable.

Pros of compiled languages

• Private code - source code is safe.
• Faster Execution (Compile once run multiple times).
• Fully optimized. (Optimized according to our CPU).

Cons of compiled languages

• No portability (executable is capable to run in similar type of platform - Windows machine alone or MAC alone or Linux machine alone based on which platform it is compiled).
• Extra compilation step (when we change the source code).

Pros of interpreted languages

• Portable.
• Easy to debug.

Cons of interpreted languages

• Required interpreter.
• Slower.
• Public code. (no executable)

Hybrid Approach

• Involves best of Compiler and interpreter.
• Combination of both.
• Code privacy form compilation and portability from interpretaion.
• Interpreter must be installed.

Examples

• Compiled: C, C++, etc.,
• Interpreted: JS, PHP, etc.,
• Hybrid: Java, C#, etc.,

Is pthon interpreted or compiled language?

• Python is both compiled and interpreted language. (HYBRID)
• Interpreter is a part of PVM

Example: Bytecode Generation

Last updated: March 22, 2025, 5:01 p.m.