Comparing Java and JavaScript may not be the most accurate way to illustrate this distinction; perhaps Java (interpreted) versus C (or C++) (compiled) would have been a more suitable example.

_{What's with the strikethrough text? As explained in this response, the labels of interpreted and compiled languages are related to specific implementations and not fundamental characteristics of the languages themselves. While it is generally true that "C is a compiled language," there could still be interpreters developed for the C language. In reality, there are existing interpreters for C.}

In essence, compiled code can be directly executed by the computer's CPU as it is written in the CPU's native language (assembly language).

Conversely, code in interpreted languages must be translated at runtime into CPU machine instructions using an interpreter.

To put it another way, interpreted code is converted into machine instructions step-by-step during program execution, whereas compiled code has already undergone translation before the commencement of program execution.

Here are the main distinctions between a Compiler and an Interpreter in programming languages.

Compiler Language

• Processes the entire program as one input and produces object code stored in a file.
• Generates intermediate Object code
• Examples include C and C++
• Compiled programs typically run faster as compilation occurs before execution.
• Uses more memory due to the creation of object code.
• Errors are shown after the complete program is compiled.
• Source code ---Compiler ---Machine Code ---Output

Interpreter Language:

• Executes single instructions as individual inputs.
• No intermediate Object code is produced
• Examples include Perl, Python, and Matlab
• Interpreted programs tend to run slower because both compilation and execution happen simultaneously.
• Requires less memory compared to compiler languages.
• Errors are displayed for each single instruction.
• Source Code ---Interpreter ---Output

When it comes to converting computer code, a compiler reads high-level language code and translates it into either p-code or native machine code. On the other hand, an interpreter directly runs p-code or interpreted code like Basic or Lisp. Typically, compiled code is faster, more efficient, and has already detected syntax errors and many illegal reference errors. Conversely, interpreted code may only uncover these errors when the code is being interpreted. Interpreted code is suitable for simple applications used infrequently or for prototyping purposes, while compiled code is better for more serious applications. A compiler processes the entire program at once, checking for errors before compiling and executing it. In contrast, an interpreter analyzes the code line by line, checking each one for errors and then executing it.

If you want additional details, simply search online for "difference between compiler and interpreter".

The distinction between compiled and interpreted languages can be rather ambiguous, as it often depends on the specific program you are using to execute the code in a given language.

That being said, most languages tend to fall more into one category or the other. For example, Java is typically considered a compiled language, whereas javascript is usually seen as an interpreted language.

Compiling source code involves running a program that translates it into a binary, executable file with the behavior outlined in the original source code. For instance, javac compiles .java files into .class files that computers can understand.

Interpreting source code, on the other hand, involves directly executing the code without the need for an intermediary file. When your web browser loads a page like stackoverflow.com, it interprets the embedded javascript code to create interactive elements like voting buttons and notification bars.

Dynamic programming languages are processed during runtime following instructions similar to shell scripting, while compiled languages undergo transformation into Assembly language which the CPU can comprehend before execution, as seen in C++.

Like others have mentioned, the terms compiled and interpreted are specific to how a particular programming language is implemented; they do not define the language itself. For instance, there are interpreters for C.

However, we often classify programming languages based on their predominant implementation. For example, C is commonly considered compiled.

To begin, let's clearly define what interpreters and compilers are:

An interpreter for language X is a program (or machine) that runs any program p written in language X according to the specifications of X.

A compiler from X to Y is a program that translates programs from language X to equivalent programs in language Y, ensuring that the results remain consistent.

It's worth noting that CPUs can be seen as interpreters for their respective machine languages.

We can now categorize programming languages into 3 groups based on their common implementations:

• Hard Compiled languages: Programs are compiled directly to machine code without interpretation. Example: Running a C program involves compiling source code to machine language for CPU execution.
• Interpreted languages: No compilation occurs to generate new machine code; existing code is interpreted by an interpreter program. Example: In Python, code is first compiled to bytecode before being executed by an interpreter like CPython.
• Soft Compiled languages: Parts of the original program may be compiled to machine language while still relying on an interpreter. Java follows this approach, compiling code to bytecode that can be further compiled or interpreted by the Java Interpreter and JIT compiler.

Sometimes, soft and hard compiled languages are simply referred to as compiled; hence, languages like C#, Java, C, C++ fall under this category.

In the past, JavaScript was considered an interpreted language. However, modern implementations now JIT-compile it to native machine code, placing it among soft compiled languages.