Which tools are used to translate programming code into machine language or to run code?

• A. Assembler
• B. Interpreter and compiler
• C. Compiler
• D. Linker

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is the two main ways we turn high-level code into something a computer can execute: translation ahead of time and execution as it runs. A compiler does the first: it takes the entire program written in a high-level language and translates it into machine code (an executable) before you ever run it. The result is a standalone file that the computer can execute directly.

An interpreter handles the other approach: it reads and executes the program line by line, translating each part on the fly as the program runs. This lets you see results quickly and often makes development faster, though the execution can be slower because translation happens during runtime. Some languages blend these approaches, using a compiler to produce an intermediate form that a virtual machine or interpreter then runs, sometimes with just-in-time compilation to speed things up.

Other tools mentioned—assemblers, for example, convert assembly language to machine code, which is more specific than “programming code” in general. A linker doesn’t translate or run code; it combines several object files into a single executable. So the combination of an interpreter and a compiler best fits the idea of tools used to translate programming code into machine language or to run code.