What is the purpose of a compiler?

The purpose of a compiler is primarily to translate high-level programming language code into machine code, which is the low-level language understood by a computer's CPU. This translation process enables the high-level code, which is more abstract and easier for humans to write, to be transformed into a form that can be executed directly by the computer hardware.

This is essential for enabling developers to write complex applications in languages such as C++, Java, or Python, which are designed to be more user-friendly and versatile compared to machine code. The compiler handles various tasks during this process, including lexical analysis, syntax analysis, semantic analysis, and code generation, ensuring that the program can run correctly on the target machine.

While other choices touch upon important aspects of programming—like execution without translation, error checking, and optimization—they do not encapsulate the fundamental role of a compiler as effectively as the correct choice does. The direct translation of high-level language into machine code is the primary function that allows programs to be executed on hardware, making it the central purpose of a compiler.