Comparisons between Compilers and Interpreters
We have seen that compilers and interpreters are computer programs that are used to convert source code written in higher-level programming languages to executable instructions. They both have different design structures to carry out their function. Let’s look at some comparisons.
Both compilers and interpreters convert the source code into tokens and generate parse trees to help them convert it into executable steps. Compilers convert the entire program into object code before executing it while interpreters execute the code line by line.
For a given program, Interpreters usually take more time than compilers, to execute even though they go line by line.
For interpreters, the source code needs to be available to run it every time or to run it on another machine. For compilers, we can execute the program by transferring and running the compiled code or object code.
An Interpreter stops executing when it encounters an error in the code. So they are very useful as debugging or training tools.
It is easy to make changes to the source code when using interpreters, as they execute line by line. In the case of compilers, the entire code is converted into object code. So any changes made to the source code would require the entire program to be compiled again.
Since compilers generate intermediate code and object code before executing, they use more memory. Interpreters are more efficient in memory usage.
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