The first stage was an interpreter that ran script programs without compiling them. This allows scripts to run "instantly" without having to wait for a compiler. If a JavaScript function is ...

Both were introduced three years ago as a part of a two-tier compiler system. Ignition is a bytecode interpreter whose job is to start executing the JavaScript with as little delay as possible.

Compiler vs. interpreter: Key differences Learn about the crucial differences between compilers and interpreters and how they affect code execution and development. 1639 Total views ...

Or if you want C, try Plan 9 where every compilation is a cross-compile. You want to build for arm, you set one environment variable & go. You even get the compiler with the system.

The first compiler was written by Grace Hopper in 1952 while the Lisp interpreter was written in 1958 by John McCarthy's student Steve Russell. Writing a compiler seems like a much harder problem ...