Arizona State University (ASU) CSE240 Introduction to Programming Languages Midterm Practice Exam

The role of a compiler in programming is primarily to translate source code written in a high-level programming language into machine code or lower-level code that a computer's processor can execute directly. This process involves several stages, including lexical analysis, syntax analysis, semantic analysis, optimization, and code generation.

When you write code, it is often in a format that is easy for humans to read and understand. However, computers require instructions in a more basic form—a set of binary commands that the CPU can understand. The compiler acts as an intermediary, taking the source code you've written and converting it into this necessary format, allowing the program to run on a computer.

While part of a compiler's role may include checking for semantic errors and optimizing code, these are secondary functions in comparison to the fundamental task of translation from high-level code to machine code. The primary purpose of the compiler is to create an executable file that can be run by the operating system, enabling the compiled program to operate without the need for the original source code.