The interpreter usually repeats this process until it translates the entire program. Interpreters usually display the errors in each line one by one. Using a compiler often takes programmers more time to debug and correct errors because they require navigating the whole batch of code. This process may be effective in grouping errors together, but it makes error detection and debugging difficult for programmers. If an error occurs, a compiler stops its translation and scans the program from the beginning after removing the error. A compiler can only display and respond to errors after compiling an entire program. Related: What is JavaScript? Error responseĮrror response refers to the unique way these programs identify and display an error that occurs during translation. This makes its overall speed and execution slower. Meanwhile, the interpreter translates a program line by line. A compiler typically runs a program faster because it translates an entire program at once. Here are the common differences between a compiler and an interpreter: Running timeĬompilers and interpreters vary in their running time, which refers to the speed it takes a program to translate high-level language into machine code. interpreter is that a compiler typically analyzes a program as a whole, while an interpreter translates it one code at a time. One significant difference between a compiler vs.
