In the field of computer science, there are two main patterns in how programming languages are performed: compilation and interpretation. Some programming languages require compilation before they can be executed, because the compilation process offers a range of benefits, including improved performance, protection, and cross-platform portability.
The basic difference between compilation and interpretation:Compiling and interpreting are two different ways of executing a program. In a compiled language, the source is processed by the compiler before being executed, converted into machine code or intermediate, and then executed directly by the computer. The source of an interpreted language, on the other hand, is parsed and executed by the interpreter line by line. Compiled languages produce executable files before they run, while interpreted languages translate and execute line by line at runtime.
Performance Benefits:One obvious advantage is performance. Because compiled languages convert the source to machine code before they run, they typically execute faster than interpreted languages. The compilation process can be optimized to produce efficient machine code, while the interpretation process needs to be parsed every time it is executed, resulting in some performance loss.
**Protection:Compilation also helps with the protection of **. Compiled executables usually do not contain the source, making it more difficult to reverse engineer the source. This is essential for the protection of business software and intellectual property. Interpreted language sources** are usually readable and can be easily cracked or modified.
Integrity and portability:The compiled executable can be run directly on a specific platform without relying on the source or interpreter. This results in flatness, making it easier for compiled language programs to run on different operating systems. This is an important advantage for developers and software distributors, especially in the context of cross-platform development.
Opportunities for pre-optimization:The compilation process provides an opportunity for the compiler to optimize. The compiler can perform a series of optimizations through static analysis and other means, such as dead ** deletion, loop expansion, and inline functions, etc., to improve the execution efficiency of the program. This kind of upfront optimization is often not possible with interpreted languages.
Overall Development Efficiency:Although compiled languages require extra steps at compile time, they are more efficient to execute because they do not need to be interpreted at runtime. This means that in the cycle from overall development to final execution, compiled languages are likely to provide better development efficiency.
In general, the reason why compiled languages need to go through the compilation process is to provide more advantages in terms of performance, protection, and impartiality. Different programming languages choose different ways to execute, depending on the developer's needs, use cases, and trade-offs between performance and maintainability.