Interpretietalen

Interpretietalen, also known as interpreter languages, are a category of programming languages that are executed by an interpreter program. Unlike compiled languages, which are translated into machine code before execution, interpreted languages are processed line by line or statement by statement by the interpreter at runtime. This means the source code of an interpreted language can be run directly without a separate compilation step.

The primary characteristic of an interpreted language is its runtime execution. When a program written in an interpreted language is run, the interpreter reads the source code, analyzes it, and then performs the specified actions. This process often involves translating high-level code into an intermediate form or directly into machine instructions, but this translation happens on the fly. Common examples of interpreted languages include Python, JavaScript, Ruby, and PHP.

Interpreted languages offer several advantages, such as faster development cycles due to the absence of a compilation phase. They are also often more portable, as the same source code can run on any system with a compatible interpreter installed. However, they can sometimes be slower in execution compared to compiled languages, as the overhead of interpretation occurs during runtime. This performance difference is less pronounced with modern just-in-time (JIT) compilation techniques, which combine elements of both interpretation and compilation. The flexibility and ease of use of interpreted languages have made them very popular for scripting, web development, and rapid prototyping.