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Programming

Translation: compilers, interpreters and assemblers

  • 3 things to know
  • AS Unit 1

Overview

Two advantages of a compiler over an interpreter and two advantages of an interpreter over a compiler.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Why is an interpreted program especially slow inside a loop?

Key term

What is bytecode, and why is it used?

Key term

Why must source code be translated before a computer can run it?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Why must source code be translated before a computer can run it?

    Model answer

    A processor can execute only binary machine code instructions, so source code written in a high-level language must first be converted into that form by a translator.

  2. 2

    What is a compiler?

    Model answer

    A compiler is a translator that converts an entire high-level source program into machine code in one operation, producing an executable file before the program is run.

  3. 3

    What is an interpreter?

    Model answer

    An interpreter is a translator that takes one statement of source code at a time, converts it and immediately executes it, repeating this for every statement as the program runs.

  4. 4

    What is an assembler?

    Model answer

    An assembler is a translator that converts assembly language into machine code, with each assembly instruction normally producing one machine code instruction.

  5. 5

    State two advantages of a compiler over an interpreter.

    Model answer

    A compiled program runs faster because the translation has already been done, and the finished executable can be given to a user and run without the translator or the source code being present.

  6. 6

    State two advantages of an interpreter over a compiler.

    Model answer

    An interpreter reports a fault the moment it reaches the offending statement, which suits testing, and a small change can be tried straight away without the whole program being retranslated.

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