Page 83 - modular4.0
P. 83
Chapter Profile
Assembler
An assembler is a program used to translate assembly language into machine language so that
the computer can understand it. The assembler enables the computer to convert the assembly
language instructions into machine code, i.e., 0’s and 1’s.
Compiler
A compiler is a software that converts the entire source program into machine language before
executing it. It converts the entire high-level language program into machine language at once. It
displays the errors for the whole program together.
Interpreter
An interpreter is also a separate program that converts the entire source program into machine
language before executing it. It translates and executes one statement at a time. It displays the
errors one line at a time and it goes to the next line only after the error is corrected.
PYTHON
Python is a popular high-level programming language. It is a powerful language used for general-purpose
programming. Python was developed by Guido van Rossum. He started applying Python in 1989.
Python is extensively used to develop:
Games Graphical User Interface programs
Websites Web applications
FEATURES OF PYTHON
Following are the features of Python:
Easy to code: It is very easy to write programs in Python as compared to other high-level
programming languages. This is because the language used to write Python codes is similar to
the English language.
Open-source language: Python is a free and open-source programming language. An
open-source language is one which can be easily improved and distributed by anyone. You
can download Python free of cost and use it on any operating system such as Windows, Mac or
Linux.
Object-Oriented: Python has an object-oriented approach. This means that the programs are
designed using objects and classes that interact with each other.
Integrated and Extensible language: We can easily integrate Python with other languages
such as C, C++. We can also write and compile a Python code in C or C++.
Interpreted language: The code you create in Python is executed line by line which makes
it easy to correct any errors. On execution, a Python code is immediately converted into an
intermediate form. This is known as byte code. The byte code makes it easier to execute or run
the code in future.
Introduction to Programming 81

