2.2.11

Interpreters

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Interpreters

Interpreters are a type of translator which converts high level languages to executable machine code.

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Interpreters

  • Interpreters translate high-level source code into executable binary one line at a time.
  • Python and JavaScript are examples of interpreted languages.
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Pros of interpreters

  • Interpreters will stop as soon as they encounter an error:
    • This is useful for debugging.
  • Interpreted languages are 'portable':
    • This means that they can be run on many different types of central processing unit as long as there is an interpreter available for the platform.
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Cons of interpreters

  • Running an interpreted program is slower than a compiled program because we have to translate each line every time we run the software.
    • But it is quicker to get started which can be good for small changes.
  • Interpreters do not produce a compiled program file:
    • The process must be repeated each time the program is run.

Jump to other topics

1Components of a Computer

2Software & Software Development

3Exchanging Data

4Data Types, Data Structures & Algorithms

5Legal, Moral, Cultural & Ethical Issues

6Elements of Computational Thinking

6.1Thinking Abstractly

6.2Thinking Ahead

6.3Thinking Procedurally

6.4Thinking Logically

6.5Thinking Concurrently

7Problem Solving & Programming

8Algorithms

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