COMPILER

Etymology

The term 'compiler' originates from the verb 'compile,' meaning to gather or put together.

Definition

A compiler is a computer program that translates an entire set of instructions written in a higher-level symbolic language into machine language before the instructions can be executed. It can also refer to a person who compiles or gathers things together.

Historical Context

The development of compilers dates back to the early days of computing when programmers needed a way to translate human-readable code into machine-readable code efficiently.

Cultural Significance

Compilers play a crucial role in software development, enabling programmers to write code in high-level languages and have it converted into machine code that computers can execute.

Related Concepts

Other related concepts include interpreters, which execute code directly without prior translation, and transpilers, which convert code from one high-level language to another.

See Also

• Interpreter
• Transpiler