Pascal compiler
- noun
- Specialized
- In the programming class, students learned how to use a Pascal compiler to turn their code into executable programs.
Examples
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The university developed its own Pascal compiler for teaching introductory programming courses.
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She contributed to the open-source Pascal compiler, improving its support for modern features.
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Before running the program, you need to process your files with a Pascal compiler.
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The Pascal compiler produces efficient machine code.
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Can you install a Pascal compiler on my laptop?
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To run the software, make sure you have a Pascal compiler installed on your system.
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The new features in the Pascal compiler allow for faster code translation and better performance.
Synonyms
A program that turns code written by people into machine code
A computer program that changes code from one programming language to another
A program that turns programming code into instructions the computer can run
A computer tool that changes code from one programming language to another
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a compiler for the Pascal programming language' is directly and compositionally derived from combining 'Pascal' (the language) with 'compiler' (software that translates source code). This noun+noun modification pattern (X Y = a Y for X) is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the phrase.
Etymology
Pascal compiler comes from the programming language Pascal, which was named after Blaise Pascal, a French thinker who made an early calculator called the Pascaline. A compiler is a tool that 'translates' a 'program' into code the computer can run, so a Pascal compiler literally means a tool that turns Pascal programs into code a computer understands.