Arizona State University (ASU) CSE110 Principles of Programming Exam 1 Practice

The software that translates a Java program into a class file is indeed the compiler. In Java, the compiler takes the Java source code, which is written in a human-readable format, and converts it into bytecode stored in a class file. This bytecode is a platform-independent representation that can be executed on any machine that has the Java Virtual Machine (JVM).

The compiler performs several key duties, such as syntax checking and optimization of the code during the translation process. This ensures that the Java program adheres to the language's rules and can be executed efficiently. Once compiled into bytecode, the program can be run on the JVM, which interprets the bytecode into machine code specific to the underlying hardware.

Other choices correlate to different roles in the programming process. For instance, the virtual machine is responsible for executing the bytecode produced by the compiler but does not perform the translation itself. The interpreter executes programs written in higher-level languages by processing them directly, which is a different approach than the compilation used in Java. An editor, on the other hand, is a tool used for writing and editing code, but it does not translate the program into bytecode or class files.

Understanding the role of the compiler is crucial for grasping how Java