What are language translators? What are its types?
Answer:
As the computer can understand only machine language, a translator is needed to convert programs written in assembly or high level language to machine language. The program code written in assembly or high-level language is called source code . The source code is converted by a translator into the machine understandable form called object (machine) code.
The three types of translators used in computing systems are
- Assembler - An assembler is a system program that converts an assembly language program into the machine language of the host computer.
- Compiler - A compiler is a system program which translates a program written in a high level language into its equivalent program in machine language.
- Interpreter - An interpreter converts a high-level language program into an equivalent machine language program one line at a time and executes it, if no error is encountered.
