ALL meanings of compiler
com·pil·er
C c - countable noun compiler A compiler is someone who compiles books, reports, or lists of information. 3
- countable noun compiler A compiler is a computer program which converts language that people can use into a code that the computer can understand. 3
- noun compiler a person who collects or compiles something 3
- noun compiler a computer program by which a high-level programming language, such as COBOL or FORTRAN, is converted into machine language that can be acted upon by a computer 3
- noun compiler a person or thing that compiles; specif., a computer program that translates instructions, other programs, etc. in a high-level language into a machine language 3
- noun compiler One who compiles. 1
- noun Technical meaning of compiler (programming, tool) A program that converts another program from some source language (or programming language) to machine language (object code). Some compilers output assembly language which is then converted to machine language by a separate assembler. A compiler is distinguished from an assembler by the fact that each input statement does not, in general, correspond to a single machine instruction or fixed sequence of instructions. A compiler may support such features as automatic allocation of variables, arbitrary arithmetic expressions, control structures such as FOR and WHILE loops, variable scope, input/ouput operations, higher-order functions and portability of source code. See also byte-code compiler, native compiler, optimising compiler. 1
- noun compiler a person who compiles. 1
- noun compiler Also called compiling routine. Computers. a computer program that translates a program written in a high-level language into another language, usually machine language. Compare interpreter (def 3a). 1
- noun compiler (computing) A computer program which transforms source code into object code. 0