What is a Language Processor?
Mostly, high-level languages like Java, C++, Python, and more are used to write the programs, called source code, as it is very uninteresting work to write a computer program directly in machine code. These source codes need to translate into machine language to be executed because they cannot be executed directly by the computer. Hence, a special translator system, a language processor, is used to convert source code into machine language.
A language processor is a special type of software program that has the potential to translate the program codes into machine codes. Languages such as COBOL and Fortran have language processors, which are generally used to perform tasks like processing source code to object code. A specific description of syntax, lexicon, and semantics of a high-level language is required to design a language processor.
Types of language processors
There are mainly three kinds of language processors, which are discussed below:
1. Compiler: The language processor allows the computer to run and understand the
program by reading the complete source program in one time, which is written in a high-level language. The computer can then interpret this code because it is translated into machine language. While working on the Harvard Mark I computer, Grace Hopper created the first compiler. In modern times, to compile the program, most of the high-level languages have toolkits or a compiler. Gcc command for C and C++ and Eclipse for Java are two popular compilers. It takes a few seconds or minutes while compiling the program based on how big the program is.
2. Assembler: An assembler converts programs written in assembly language into machine code. It is also referred to assembler as assembler language by some users. The source program has assembly language instructions, which is an input of the assembler. The assemble translates this source code into a code that is understandable by the computer, called object code or machine code.
3. Interpreter: An interpreter is a computer program that allows a computer to interpret or understand what tasks to perform. The programs written with the help of using one of the many high-level programming languages are directly executed by an interpreter without previously converting them to an object code or machine code, which is done line by line or statement by statement. When the interpreter is translating the source code, it displays an error message if there is an error in the statement and terminates this statement from translating process. When the interpreter removed errors on the first line, then it moves on to the next line.
Difference between Compiler and Interpreter
| Compiler | Interpreter |
|---|---|
| A compiler is a program that takes the complete program as a single unit and converts the entire source code into executable machine code for a CPU. | The interpreter is different from the Compiler; it takes a source program and translates it one by one, and executes. |
| The compiler is comparatively faster in order to the overall execution of the source code; however, it takes a large amount of time to analyze to compile the complete programming code. | As compared to the compiler, an interpreter is slower in order to the overall execution of the programming code, but it takes less time to evaluate the source code. |
| When the compiler completes scanning the whole program, then it generates the error message. As the error can be found in any statement in the program; therefore, debugging is comparatively hard with a compiler. | With an interpreter, until the error is met, it continues converting the program; therefore, its debugging is easier. |
| When you want to run the program, a translator program is needed each time to convert the source code. | When you want to run the program, a translator program is not needed each time to convert the source code. |
| It stores object code and is more beneficial for commercial purposes. | It does not hold object code, and it is more beneficial for learning purposes. |
| Examples: C, C++, Java, FORTRAN compiler, PASCAL compiler. | Examples: Python, Perl, LISP, APL, Prolog interpreter, etc. |
Is C++ a language processor?
If a program is written in one of these languages, it is commonly referred to as “human-readable code.” With the introduction of newer languages (Java, C#, Ruby, and so on), C++ is beginning to be lumped in with lower-level languages like C; yet, it is still considered a high-level language.
Is compiler a language processor?
A compiler is a program that processes a complete program and turns the source code into machine code that can be executed by a computer’s processor.