Compiler

A compiler is a computer program that translates a computer program (also referred to as source code) into a lower-level representation, usually executable code. In most cases, the output of the compiler needs further processing in order for it to be executed. Compilers exist for most programming languages, as opposed to interpreters. Execution of compiled code is usually much faster than execution of a program in an interpreter.

Supported programming languages

Compilers exist for many different programming languages. The most popular compiler for C code is historically the GCC (GNU C Compiler). Most embedded systems are programmed primarily in C or a mix of C, C++, and ASM (handwritten or optimized) machine code.