What converts high level language to machine language?

Answer 1

Converting machine language to a high-level language is very difficult. It is not possible to convert machine language back to the original high-level source code because there are an infinite number of source code files that can produce any given machine language output. For example, machine language uses memory addresses or stack locations to store variables, so all variable names used in the source code are lost and cannot be regenerated.

There are some reverse compiler tools that can produce a probable high level language file from machine language. And some machine code file formats store information about source code for debugging or tracing, and when available, that information can be very useful to reverse-compile machine code.

It is also possible to generate an assembly language file that is close to the machine code, and although that is not high-level it is more human readable.

Answer 2

A compiler or interpreter is needed to convert a high level programming language into machine byte code.
These days, it's a compiler. Back in the day, we used to have to compile, then link, then assemble the linked files into an executable file (.exe or .com).

Answer 3

Either a "compiler" (in the case that the high-level program is converted once into machine language then stored) or an "interpreter" (in the case that the high-level program is read, converted, and executed on the fly).

Answer 4

It is done through the process of "decompilation" or "reverse engineering." Given the machine code (binary) version of a program, a "decompiler" follows the logic of the code and attempts to reconstruct human-readable source code from the binary. This process is made complex by the fact that "symbols" (the variable names, line numbers, and so on) are often not included in a binary compiled for a production release. Often, the symbols are meaningless and must be examined by a proficient programmer to determine what their purpose was. Before this automated software, developers would often load the program in a debugger and trace the steps through the program, or read the machine code and hand-convert it into meaningful assembler code. You should also note that one version of machine code can often be interpreted into many different, compatible languages. Most languages have distinguishing features that allow code analysts to determine the most likely source code language used, which has the highest chance of being legible when decompiled.

Answer 5

Compiler.

(People sometime suggest that an interpreter compiles little parts of the program (lines or statements, for example) to machine code, then executes it, but they are wrong.)

Answer 6

It isn't "who" it's "what": the compiler program.

Answer 7

A compiler converts commands from a high-level language into "machine" language.

Answer 8

Compilers and interpreters.

Answer 9

Compiler.