Difficulty: Medium

Average Score: 58%

What is a characteristic of an interpreted language?

Rationale

Can be run by a user one statement at a time.

Interpreted languages are designed to execute code sequentially, allowing for individual lines or statements to be run interactively, which facilitates debugging and testing. This characteristic enhances the flexibility and accessibility for programmers, as they can test small code snippets without the need for a full compilation process.

A (Generate syntax errors during compilation) YOUR ANSWER

Interpreted languages do not compile code in the traditional sense; they execute code line by line, which means that syntax errors are detected at runtime, not during compilation. Thus, this characteristic does not specifically apply to interpreted languages, as it is more relevant to compiled languages.

B (Has a programmer writing machine code) YOUR ANSWER

Interpreted languages abstract the complexities of machine code from the programmer, allowing them to write in higher-level syntax instead. This characteristic is not typical of interpreted languages; rather, it is more associated with low-level programming languages or assembly languages where programmers directly manipulate machine code.

C (Can be run by a user one statement at a time) CORRECT

This is a defining feature of interpreted languages. They allow users to execute code incrementally, making it easier to test and debug. This interactive execution model is a significant advantage that enhances the programming experience and allows for immediate feedback.

D (Is restricted to running on one machine) YOUR ANSWER

Interpreted languages are generally platform-independent, as they rely on an interpreter that can be executed on different systems. This characteristic allows the same interpreted code to run on various platforms without modification, contrary to being restricted to a single machine.

Conclusion

Interpreted languages are characterized by their ability to execute code one statement at a time, providing flexibility and ease of debugging for developers. Unlike compiled languages, they do not generate syntax errors during a compilation phase, do not require programmers to write in machine code, and are not confined to a specific machine. This interactive and platform-independent nature makes interpreted languages a popular choice for many programming tasks.

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