15.1 COMPILERS
A compiler is a translator that converts a computer program written in one programming language (the source program) into another language (the target program). There are many types of compilers, but the typical compiler translates a program in a high-level language (e.g., C++, Java, Python) into a low-level language (e.g., machine code). High-level languages are easier for humans to write programs in then low-level languages. Low-level languages such as machine code are what a computer understands, but they are tedious for humans to write programs in.
As an example, consider a C++ program in a file named simple.cpp. A C++ compiler would convert the program into a file of machine code matching the type of computer the user is ...
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