Compiler \Com*pil"er\ (k[o^]m*p[imac]l"[~e]r), n. [OE.
   compiluor; cf. OF. compileor, fr. L. compilator.]
   1. One who compiles; esp., one who makes books by
      compilation.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Computers) a computer program that decodes instructions
      written in a higher-level computer language to produce an
      assembly-language program or an executable program in
      machine language.
      [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]

	

	compiler
     n 1: a person who compiles (or writes for) encyclopedias [syn: encyclopedist,
           encyclopaedist]
     2: (computer science) a program that decodes instructions
        written in a higher order language and produces an
        assembly language program [syn: compiling program]

	

	compiler
     
         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.
     
        AUTOCODER, written in 1952, was possibly the first primitive
        compiler.  Laning and Zierler's compiler, written in
        1953-1954, was possibly the first true working algebraic
        compiler.
     
        See also byte-code compiler, native compiler, optimising
        compiler.
     
        (1994-11-07)