An is a program that directly executes instructions written in a programming language without first translating them into machine code.

After compilation, the next step is where the machine code is turned into object code.

A is a general term used to describe programs that convert code from one programming language to another or from a high-level language to a low-level language.

Linking resolves external references, assigns final memory addresses, and generates an executable .

Compilers, interpreters, assemblers, and translators are all types of that convert code into machine language.

The final step in the build process is where all the object files are combined into a single executable.