Interpreted versus compiled
Python is classified as a scripting language, because it doesn't require a compiler to generate machine code. It actually uses an interpreter to create byte-code, which is cross-platform, and, therefore, any system that has Python installed should be able to run the code. (There are caveats to this, which will be addressed later in the book.)
Byte-code is common among higher-level languages, such as Java, because it makes it easy to write software that runs in many different environments. Languages that use byte-code have a language-specific virtual machine; that is, the virtual machine's sole purpose is to translate the byte-code into something the host computer's operating system can understand. Any OS that has ...
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access