Exam-style question
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Explain the need for translators and compare a compiler, an assembler and an interpreter.
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- Translators are needed because source code written by programmers is not necessarily in the machine code that a processor can execute.
- A compiler translates a high-level language program into machine code, usually producing a translated program that can then be executed.
- An assembler translates assembly language into machine code.
- An interpreter translates and executes a high-level language program during execution, typically one statement at a time.
Explanation
Why this works
A strong answer identifies the general need for translation and gives the correct role of each translator. It should distinguish a compiler from an interpreter by describing whether translation produces a complete translated program before execution or occurs during execution.
It should also identify assembly language as the input to an assembler.
Common mistake
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