Glossary · Phase 7 · Software engineering
Compiler
A program that translates code into machine instructions ahead of time, so the result runs fast.
Try it now
Step through it. The function gets a second name for the same list, so its change is visible outside. The copy is a separate object.
Learn it properly
How computers run code · Bits, memory, the processor, and what really happens when Python runs. About 30 minutes.
Other terms from the same lesson
- bytecode: The simple instruction list Python turns your code into before its virtual machine runs it, one instruction at a time.
- interpreter: A program that carries out code as it reads it, instead of translating it all first.
Never trained an AI?
Teach a small one to write, right in your browser. It takes about 20 seconds and needs no account.