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An interpreter is a computer program that executes high-level instructions one at a time. This is in contrast to a compiler, which translates an entire program into machine code before execution.12

Programming languages allow humans to communicate with computers. Early languages were close to machine code, but higher-level languages like FORTRAN and BASIC emerged, enabling more abstract programming. These languages can be imperative (specifying commands) or functional (collections of mathematical functions).3

Interpreted languages, often called scripting languages, are used for tasks like web development, where they integrate different components like HTML and databases. While compilation is more efficient for popular languages, interpretation is often used when a language is first developed or for specific applications like web scripting.3

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