interpreter : Java Glossary

by Roedy Green ©1996-2009 Canadian Mind Products
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interpreter

An interpreter is a computer program that makes a real cpu, such as an Intel Pentium, simulate the idealised Java CPU. An interpreter does not convert the JVM byte codes to machine code. It runs the JVM byte codes directly, using a program to simulate, in every detail, exactly what an idealised Java CPU would do. There are cpus that can run JVM byte codes directly as their native machine code. When you use these, that is not called interpreting. It is only called interpreting when you use a program to make one computer pretend to be another.

Interpreter is also one of the design patterns. It has nothing to do with interpreting JVM byte codes.

compiler
design patterns
JASM: Java byte code assemblers
Java Class file format
JIT
native compiler

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