Language processor
Updated: 09/12/2023 by Computer Hope
A language processor is a program designed or used to perform tasks such as processing program code to machine code. Language processors are found in languages such as Fortran and COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language).
Examples of language processors
There are two main types of language processors:
- Interpreter - allows a computer to interpret or understand what a program needs the computer to do and what tasks to perform.
- Translator - takes a program's code and translates it into machine code, allowing the computer to read and understand what tasks the program needs to be done in its native code. An assembler and a compiler are examples of translators.
The difference between an interpreter and a translator is that an interpreter tells a computer what to do. A translator converts the program's code to machine code, allowing the computer to read it. Essentially, the interpreter tells the computer what to do, and the translator lets the computer figure out what to do by itself.