What is the name of the program that reads code line by line and translates it into machine-understandable language?

• A. Compiler
• B. Interpreter
• C. Assembler
• D. Debugger

Answer: (B)

The program that reads code line by line and translates it into machine-understandable language is known as an interpreter. An interpreter processes the source code of a programming language by reading it sequentially and executing the instructions directly. This means that the code is executed one line at a time, which makes it easier to test and debug during the development process, as developers can see the output immediately after each line runs.

In contrast, a compiler translates the entire source code into machine code before any part of the program is executed, which can lead to longer wait times during development as errors need to be addressed in the whole program at once. An assembler is specifically used for translating assembly language into machine code, functioning at a lower level than high-level programming languages. A debugger, on the other hand, is a tool used for testing and debugging code rather than translating it. These distinctions highlight why the interpreter is the appropriate choice for this definition.