Computers don't really understand or execute C programs directly. Before you
can have the computer run a C program, you first need to use a compiler
to translate that program into another language that the computer does
understand. That other language is called ``machine language.''
A compiler is a special program that translates programs written in C (or some
other programming language) into programs written in machine language. There
is a different compiler for each kind of programming language.
You might be wondering why people don't write programs in ``machine language.''
Click here for the answer.
Eric N. Eide
Hamlet Project
Department of Computer Science
University of Utah