View source for Compiled language

{{Short description|Programming language that is typically compiled}}
{{more footnotes|date=January 2013}}
A '''compiled language''' is a [[programming language]] for which [[source code]] is typically [[compiler|compiled]]; not [[interpreter (computing)|interpreted]].

The term is vague since, in principle, any language can be compiled or interpreted and in practice some languages are both (in different environments).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ullah |first1=Asmat |title=Features and Characteristics of Compiled Languages |url=https://www.sqa.org.uk/e-learning/ClientSide01CD/page_14.htm |website=www.sqa.org.uk |language=en}}</ref> In some environments, source code is first compiled (to an intermediate form; often [[bytecode]]) and then interpreted.

==Advantages and disadvantages==

Programs compiled to native code tend run faster than if interpreted due to translation overhead. Environments with a bytcode intermediate form tend toward intermediate speed. [[Just-in-time compilation]] allows for native execution speed with a one-time startup processing time cost.

[[Low-level programming language]]s, such as [[assembly language|assembly]] and [[C (programming language)|C]], are typically compiled, especially when efficiency is the main concern, rather than [[cross-platform]] support. For such languages, there are more one-to-one correspondences between the source code and the resulting [[machine code]], making it easier for programmers to control the use of hardware.

It is possible to write compilers even for commonly [[interpreted language]]s. For example, [[Common Lisp]] can be compiled to Java bytecode (then interpreted by the [[Java virtual machine]]), C code (then compiled to native machine code), or directly to native code. 

Environments that support multiple compilation output languages provide developers control to choose either execution speed or cross-platform compatibility.

==See also==
*{{Annotated link|ANTLR}}
*{{Annotated link|Flex lexical analyser|Flex}}
*{{Annotated link|GNU bison}}
*{{Annotated link|Lex (software)|Lex}}
*{{Annotated link|List of programming languages by type#Compiled languages|List of compiled languages}}
*{{Annotated link|Interpreter (computing)}}
*{{Annotated link|Scripting language}}
*{{Annotated link|Yacc}}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* {{dmoz|Computers/Programming/Languages/Compiled/|Compiled Languages}}

{{Types of programming languages}}

[[Category:Programming language classification]]


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