Q7-1(a).

Define compiler and how does it differ from

interpreter?
Answer:
Compiler: Compiler is a program that translates code written in a
high-level programming language (like JavaScript or Java) into
low-level code (like Assembly) directly executable by the computer
or another program such as a virtual machine.
Compiler Interpreter
It takes an entire program It takes a single line of
at a time. code or instruction at a
time
It generates intermediate It does not produce
object code. intermediate object code
The compilation is done Compilation and execution is
before execution. done simultaneously.
Comparatively faster slower

Memory requirement is more It requires less memory

due to the creation of object
code.
Display all errors after
compilation, all at the same
time
Error detection is difficult
because it does not create
intermediate code.
Display errors of each line
one by one.
Easier comparatively
 Q7-1(b).Write the purpose of a compiler. What’s the role of a
lexical analyze.
Answer:

Purpose of a compiler: Apart from translating source code from

high level language to low level language, compiler has other
responsibilities too. After reading source code written in high level
language it performs below operations -

1. Performs a pre-processing of source code. Gather all files required

for the source code to compile.
2. Parses the entire source code. Checks for any syntax errors in the
source code.
3. Performs a thorough syntax analysis of the source code. To
understand the structure and semantic of the source code.
4. Optionally translates the source code in an intermediate code
known as object code to enhance the performance.
5. Translates the object code to binary language known as executable
code.

Roles of lexical analyzer: Lexical analysis is the first phase

of a compiler. It takes the modified source code from
language preprocessors that are written in the form of
sentences. The lexical analyzer breaks these syntaxes into
a series of tokens, by removing any whitespace or
comments in the source code.
If the lexical analyzer finds a token invalid, it generates
an error. The lexical analyzer works closely with the
syntax analyzer. It reads character streams from the
source code, checks for legal tokens, and passes the data
to the syntax analyzer when it demands.