What is a disadvantage of a compiled program compared to an interpreted language?

What is a disadvantage of a compiled program compared to an interpreted language?

  • What is an Interpreted Language?
  • Pros and Cons of an Interpreted Language
    • Pros
    • Cons

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Usually, there are two types of programming languages; the interpreted language and the compiled language. As a programmer, you have probably interacted with both of the languages. In a job interview regarding programming, the interviewer might ask you to distinguish between the two. We?ve done that for you in detail in this article.

Before delving into the particulars of what the ups and downs of an interpreted language are, it is important you mention what they are. An interpreted programming language is a programming language where an interpreter program executes the programs. On the other hand, the compiled language is first converted to machine code then executed directly by the host CPU. In an interpreted programming language the source code can be executed, and that is done by the interpreter acting as the CPU.

You can show the interviewer that you?ve interacted with both languages and mention your preferred option, or you can keep it simple, objective, and straightforward. However, it’s important to mention that interpretation and compilation are properties of how we implement a programming language and not properties of the language itself.

Pros and Cons of an Interpreted Language

What is a disadvantage of a compiled program compared to an interpreted language?

Pros

When a programmer wants to change a program developed from an interpreted programming language, he will just open the source code and make the change from there. The executables can be easily tweaked with no long compiling services needed. The process of compiling takes several minutes. Therefore, to a serial programmer, those can turn into hours since they have to tweak their programs as they develop them. In the long run, the program developed by an interpreted programming language grows faster.

Another advantage of these languages is that you can run the program as you code just like in python and ruby. When you open the interpreter, you will be provided with a window like a command prompt in which you can perform calculations to cross check with your program. The interpreted programs tend to be more flexible than the compiled ones. The superior features of interpreted languages include:

? They are platform independent, for instance, the byte code in Java
? They offer dynamic typing as well as dynamic scoping
? Provides an ease of debugging
? They use the evaluator reflectively like in a first order evaluation function
? They provide you with an automatic memory management.

Cons

Interpreted programming languages also have their disadvantages. In these languages, the executable isn?t run by the CPU but rather by an interpreter which is in turn run by the CPU. That creates a huge performance overhead hence much slower than the compiled language. A?powerful processor would solve this, but performance intensive programs would make it very slow. Another downside to the interpreted programs is the fact that the executables can only be run by an interpreter. It means that it cannot execute the source code without the interpreter. Besides, the performance of interpreted languages is generally slower than the compiled languages.

These are some of the facts you can present during your interview to show your interviewer that you have authority over the field of programming. Share your thoughts on interpreted programs upon reading this piece.

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Compiled languages are highly efficient in terms of processing requirements because they don’t require the extra power consumed by an interpreter. As a result, they can reliably run very quickly with minimal interruptions and use less of the computer’s resources in the process. However, when a programmer wants to update software written in a compiled language, the entire program needs to be edited, re-compiled, and re-launched.

Let’s return to the baking analogy. Imagine a translator had just compiled the entire chocolate cake recipe with multiple steps, only to find out that you (the programmer) discovered a new process for making one component a day later. Unfortunately, you only speak and write Urdu, and the entire recipe and process hinge on the new component. Not only must you write the entire recipe again, but the translator (compiler) needs to perform the entire process again too.

Now picture the same scenario with an interpreted language. Because the interpreter is present the entire time your friend is baking, you can very easily tell the interpreter to ask your friend to stop for a moment. You can then rewrite the new portion of the procedure yourself, edit the affected components of the recipe, and tell the interpreter to resume the process with the newly implemented procedure. Even though the process is less efficient with the interpreter, editing the instructions (program) is much simpler.

However, imagine you had a time-tested recipe for something like apple pie. Your grandparents’ grandparents passed it down to you, and it hadn’t changed in over a century. The recipe is perfect, and to add to it would do it a disservice. In this scenario, a compiled language is king. Your friend (the computer) could confidently read and carry out the instructions (program) in the most efficient way possible until the end of time without the need for disruptive iterations.

In the real world, compiled languages are preferred for computing-intensive software that requires heavy resource usage or in a distributed system where optimal performance from the processor is a key factor. Interpreted languages are preferred for less computing-intensive applications where the CPU isn’t a bottleneck, such as user interfaces. Another use case for interpreted languages was server-side development before the introduction of containers. Because the processor spent most of its time waiting for requests or replies from the database, sub-optimal performance from the processor wasn’t a concern.

What is a disadvantage of a compiled program?

The main disadvantage of execution by compilation is portability. A compiled program targets a specific computer architecture, and will not be able to run in a different hardware.

What is considered a large disadvantage of interpreted programming as compared to compiled languages?

Any computer that has the appropriate interpreter installed may run the program more or less unchanged. This is a disadvantage as well, because the program will not run at all if the interpreter is not available. In general, interpreted programs are slower than compiled programs, but are easier to debug and revise.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of interpreted language?

The significant benefit of an interpreted language is that it does not have to be compiled for each hardware target separately. The disadvantage is that it makes the code execution slower.

Which shows the disadvantage of interpreted language?

Disadvantages of Interpreted Languages An interpreter is needed in the local machine to run the program. Executing the program in an interpreter is less efficient than regular program execution. An interpreted language is less secure. Unlike compiled languages, the interpreter does not have an executable file.