Do all languages need a compiler?
Whether you are an experienced programmer or have just entered the intriguing world of programming, you can’t deny the importance of compilers.
From C, C++ Compilers to JS Online compilers, you will come across several compilers for the running of your program.
When you compile a program, you can make use of compiled language where the instructions are being expressed from the target machine to get the desired source code.
Compiled languages include some of the most popular languages like C, C++, COBOL, CLEO among others.
Though, programmers may often get confused with the brimming question of whether all programming languages need a compiler or not?
Well, to give an elaborate answer to this question and to make you aware about all the necessary information related to the compilers, we have curated this blog post.
Let’s get started!
Compiler - an overview
A compiler is defined as a special program which translates the source code into the machine language code or other programming language code. The source code will be typically written as the high-level or human programming languages like C++ or Java.
A programmer will write the source code with the help of an integrated development environment which includes the editor, the source code or the text generator to generate the files.
Compilers that help in the translation of a source code into the machine specific operating system needs a well-defined computer architecture. This output is also referred to as the object code.
A noteworthy thing is that some compilers are able to translate the source code into desired bytecode irrespective of writing a machine code. Bytecode which was earlier used as the Java language is also an intermediate language that performs any execution on running a program in the language.
The java virtual machine is useful to interpret the converted bytecode into the instructions received by the hardware . thus, help you to use the JS online compilers.
Working of a compiler
As a budding programmer, you should also know about the working of a compiler to execute your programs in an efficient way.
Lexical analysis: In this case, the compiler will split the source code into the form of lexemes which are called the individual fragmented codes that represent specific codes.
Syntax analysis: The compiler will understand the syntax of a code. It is also based on the rules of a source code. The process is also called parsing.
Semantic analysis: Here, the compiler will verify the validity of a code’ logic. Though, the step will go beyond the syntax analysis to verify the code
IR code generation: After your code will pass all the generations, the compiler generates the IR representation of the desired source code. Though, it needs to accurately represent all the data in a desired format
Optimisation: Here, the compiler may optimise the IR code to prepare it for the final code. This type of optimization will mainly depend on the compiler. Though, it should accurately represent the functionality of a compiler without omitting any error.
Do all languages need compilers?
Well, this is the question that most of the programmers want to know. The answer to this question is no as all languages will not need a compiler to run their programs. These languages are basically called the scripting languages which need not to be compiled as they are interpreted.
It also means that these scripting languages make use of an interpreter for the conversion of their code into the machine language code. Moreover, the scripting languages also run slow as compared to the programming languages and they may not access the low-level details.
Take an example of the C program that needs a compiler for the conversion of a code into its native machine language code. Though, the javascript may not need a compiler. It uses the interpreter for the conversion of code into the machine level code. The scripting languages that are generally interpreted are Javascript, Python, Perl, PHP or Lua.
On the other hand, the programming languages make use of compilers to convert the code into the native machine language code. Thi may include JS online compilers, C, C++ compilers among others.
Though, while you differentiate between a language as the scripting or programming language, you need to consider the environment on which it is being deployed. Hence, we can design the compiler or interpreter based on the needs. We can also make use of the C or C++ to design an interpreter.
For instance; Python can be used without a compiler. Though, Cpython needs a compiler for its efficient execution and running.
Compiled languages
When you are studying about the languages that need a compiler, you should know about the compiled languages. These are the languages that can be converted directly in the form of machine code so that the processor will execute it ideally.
Hence, these languages are touted to be faster and efficient than the interpreted languages. Though, all the compiled languages may require a built-in setup that should first be manually compiled. You can get the whole translation without getting the execution at first.
Programs that are compiled into their native code at the time of compilation are translated at runtime in their compilation process with some type of general improvements. The languages in this case are compiled in a way to execute the program without any type of built-in support.
Additional learning - javascript array
When it comes to programming, you need to learn several essential concepts. One of these concepts is javascript array. Array is termed as a group of elements that have several values. If you have the list of several items, you can store it at an adequate place in java so as to better run the program.
Wrapping up
You can make use of compilers in the programming languages for the efficient and smooth running of your program. You can take cues from this blog post to learn about all the programming languages that need to be compiled.