What do compiled programming languages use to translate code?

Compiled programming languages use a compiler to translate the high-level source code written by developers into machine code or bytecode that a computer can understand and execute. This translation process involves analyzing the entire program and converting it into a lower-level language that the hardware can process directly. Once the code is compiled, it can run multiple times without needing to be translated again, which often results in better performance compared to interpreted languages, where code is translated on the fly.

Interpreters, in contrast, execute code line by line, translating it in real time and typically do not produce a standalone executable file. Debuggers are used to test and troubleshoot programs by allowing developers to inspect code during execution to identify issues, while loaders are responsible for loading executable files into memory for execution, rather than translating code. Understanding the distinct roles of these tools helps clarify why a compiler is specifically designed for the purpose of code translation in compiled programming languages.