Technology Fundamentals
Interpreter
Definition
An interpreter is a computer program that directly executes, i.e., performs, instructions written in a programming or scripting language, without requiring them previously to have been compiled into a machine language program.
Why It Matters
Interpreters make the development process faster and more interactive, as you can run code line by line without a separate compilation step. This is great for scripting, web development, and data analysis.
Contextual Example
Python is an interpreted language. When you run a Python script, the Python interpreter reads the source code and executes it one instruction at a time.
Common Misunderstandings
- An interpreter is different from a compiler. An interpreter translates and runs the code on the fly, while a compiler translates the entire program into an executable file first.
- Interpreted languages are often easier to debug but may run slower than compiled languages.