A __________ provides the tools that a programmer uses to create software.

a)compiler b) interpreter c)code d)a programming language

In a way, don't all of these help a programmer to create software? As I understand it, a compiler helps to convert commands into 0's and 1's for the computer to understand the commands, an interpreter is a program that executes instructions written in a programming language, a code (source code I'm assuming?) refers to the programming language that a programmer uses, so it is basically the same as d, which is programming language. Help!

I would go with programming languages. Higher level languages offer tools (commands) that do several things for the programmer, and in fact, those commands are tools.

If you ever program in a machine language, or even an assembly language, you learn to appreciate the timesaving tools of the higher order languages.

Thank you! At one time I learned to program in BASIC - what a task! Mary

Prgramming Languages

You're right in that all of these options play a role in the process of creating software. Let me break it down for you:

a) A compiler is a program that takes the source code written by a programmer in a specific programming language and translates it into machine code (0's and 1's) that can be directly executed by the computer.

b) An interpreter is a program that reads and executes the source code of a program line by line, without first converting it to machine code. It carries out the instructions in the program directly, making it easier to debug and test code quickly.

c) "Code" usually refers to the source code written in a programming language. It is the set of instructions written by a programmer to define the behavior of a software program.

d) A programming language is a formal language that provides a set of rules and syntax for writing programs. It gives programmers a way to express their ideas and create complex instructions for the computer to follow.

So, based on the given options, the most appropriate answer would be (d) a programming language. While both compiler and interpreter are tools used to execute code, they are not the essence of creating software itself. Code refers to the written instructions, and a programming language is the formal language used to write the software.