Compiler
[kuh m-pahy-ler] /kəmˈpaɪ lər/
noun
1.
a person who .
2.
Also called compiling routine. Computers. a computer program that translates a program written in a high-level language into another language, usually machine language.
Compare (def 3a).
/kəmˈpaɪlə/
noun
1.
a person who collects or compiles something
2.
a computer program by which a high-level programming language, such as COBOL or FORTRAN, is converted into machine language that can be acted upon by a computer Compare assembler
n.
early 14c., from Anglo-French compilour, Old French compileur “author, chronicler,” from Latin compilatorem, agent noun from compilare (see compile). Another form of the word current in early Modern English was compilator, directly from the Latin.
compiler
(kəm-pī’lər)
A computer program associated with certain programming languages that converts the instructions written in those languages into machine code that can later be executed directly by a computer. See more at programming language.
programming, tool
A program that converts another program from some source language (or programming language) to machine language (object code). Some compilers output assembly language which is then converted to machine language by a separate assembler.
A compiler is distinguished from an assembler by the fact that each input statement does not, in general, correspond to a single machine instruction or fixed sequence of instructions. A compiler may support such features as automatic allocation of variables, arbitrary arithmetic expressions, control structures such as FOR and WHILE loops, variable scope, input/ouput operations, higher-order functions and portability of source code.
AUTOCODER, written in 1952, was possibly the first primitive compiler. Laning and Zierler’s compiler, written in 1953-1954, was possibly the first true working algebraic compiler.
See also byte-code compiler, native compiler, optimising compiler.
(1994-11-07)
Read Also:
- Compiler and generalized translator
language (COGENT) A compiler writing language with pattern-directed string and list processing features, for CDC 3600 and CDC 3800. A COGENT program consists of productions defining a context-free language, plus analysis and synthesis function generators. [“COGENT Programming Manual”, J.C. Reynolds, ANL-7022, Argonne, Mar 1965]. [Sammet 1969, p.638]. [“An Introduction to the COGENT System”, J.C. Reynolds, […]
- Compiler-compiler
An early compiler generator for the Atlas, with its own distinctive input language. [“The Compiler-Compiler”, R.A. Brooker et al, Ann Rev Automatic Programming 3:229-275, Pergamon 1963]. (1994-10-24) A utility to generate the source code of a parser, interpreter or compiler from an annotated language description (usually in BNF). Most so called compiler-compilers are really just […]
- Compiler jock
A programmer who specialises in writing compilers. [Jargon File] (1995-01-19)
- Compiler target language
(CTL) The intermediate language used by the ALICE parallel machine. [“The Design and Implementation of ALICE: A Parallel Graph Reduction Machine”, M.D. Cripps et al, Proc Workshop on Graph Reduction, Springer 1987]. (1994-11-14)
- Compile time
programming The period of time during which a program’s source code is being translated into executable code, as opposed to run time when the program is being executed. As well as the work done by the compiler, this may include macro preprocessing as done by cpp for example. The final stage of program construction, performed […]