When would you use a compiler?

The name “compiler” is primarily used for programs that translate source code from a high-level programming language to a lower level language (e.g. assembly language, object code, or machine code) to create an executable program.

What does a compiler do in writing?

A compiler is a program that translates human-readable source code into computer-executable machine code. To do this successfully, the human-readable code must comply with the syntax rules of whichever programming language it is written in. If you make a mistake, you have to correct the syntax or it won’t compile.

Should I use compiler or interpreter?

A compiler takes a lot of time to analyze the source code. However, the overall time taken to execute the process is much faster. An interpreter does not generate an intermediary code. Hence, an interpreter is highly efficient in terms of its memory.

When would you use a compiler over an interpreter?

Compiler transforms code written in a high-level programming language into the machine code, at once, before program runs, whereas an Interpreter coverts each high-level program statement, one by one, into the machine code, during program run. Compiled code runs faster while interpreted code runs slower.

Do I need to know assembly to write a compiler?

You don’t need to know machine code to write assembly. You don’t need to know the platform’s instruction set when using a VM, etc.. But someone had to build those abstraction levels below yours.

How do you code a compiler?

An easy way to create a compiler is to use bison and flex (or similar), build a tree (AST) and generate code in C. With generating C code being the most important step. By generating C code, your language will automatically work on all platforms that have a C compiler.

How do you build a compiler?

If languages each have a set of grammar rules, and those rules are all the legal expressions, then there are primarily two parts to building a compiler. Be able to read a file, parse it, then build an validate an Abstract Syntax Tree from that grammar.