compiler

Also known as code compiler

In computing, a compiler is software that translates computer code written in one programming language (the source language) into another language (the target language). The name "compiler" is primarily used for programs that translate source code from a high-level programming language to a low-level programming language (e.g. assembly language, object code, or machine code) to create an executable program.

AI overview

A compiler is software that translates computer code written in one programming language into another language, most commonly converting human-readable code into machine code that computers can execute. This translation process matters because it allows programmers to write instructions in languages designed for human understanding, while enabling those instructions to actually run on computer hardware.

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Commons category: Compilers
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~40 min read

Article

15 sections

Contents

Comparison with interpreter
History
Compiler construction
One-pass vs multi-pass compilers{{anchor|Single-pass}}
Three-stage compiler structure
Front end
Middle end
Back end
Compiler correctness
Compiled vis-à-vis interpreted languages
Types
See also
Notes and references
Further reading
External links

There are many different types of compilers which produce output in different useful forms. A cross-compiler produces code for a different CPU or operating system than the one on which the cross-compiler itself runs. A bootstrap compiler is often a temporary compiler, used for compiling a more permanent or better optimized compiler for a language.