Management Information System (MIS) Practice Exam

A(n) ________ is a type of program that translates a program's source code into machine language and executes one statement at a time.

1. A) Compiler

2. B) Disassembler

3. C) Interpreter

4. D) Executable

The correct answer is: C) Interpreter

The chosen answer is indeed the interpreter. An interpreter is a type of program that executes code by translating high-level language statements into machine language one at a time, allowing immediate execution of each statement. This characteristic enables quick testing and debugging because developers can see the outcome of their code as they write it, rather than waiting for the entire program to compile and run. In contrast, a compiler translates the entire source code into machine language before execution, which can lead to more efficient execution times but lacks the immediate feedback loop that interpreters provide. A disassembler, on the other hand, is used for converting machine code back into assembly language, primarily for reverse engineering, rather than executing high-level code. An executable refers to a compiled program file that can be run on a computer, rather than a type of program that processes source code, further clarifying why the interpreter is the correct answer.