What is the role of an interpreter in programming?

The role of an interpreter in programming is to execute code directly while checking for errors. An interpreter reads the source code written in a high-level programming language line-by-line or statement-by-statement. During this process, it translates the code into machine language and executes it simultaneously. This allows for immediate feedback, as errors are detected at the time of execution rather than waiting for the entire code to compile first.

This immediate execution makes interpreters especially useful during the development and debugging phases, as programmers can make changes and test their code in real time rather than going through the longer process of compiling and running a complete program. This characteristic sets interpreters apart from compilers, which require the entire program to be converted into machine code prior to execution, potentially delaying error detection.