Which statement defines object code?

Which statement defines object code?

• A. The high-level code written by the programmer.
• B. The set of instructions for the interpreter.
• C. The optimized source code.
• D. The output of the compiler after translating the program.

Answer: (D)

Object code is the machine-readable version of a program produced by a compiler after it translates the high-level source code. This output, usually in binary or assembly form, is what the computer’s processor can actually execute (often after linking into an executable). It’s typically not human-friendly because it corresponds directly to processor instructions and memory operations. The idea of code for an interpreter describes something different—often bytecode or source-like instructions run by the interpreter, not the compiled machine code. Optimized source code isn’t what the compiler hands off; the run-ready form that results from translation is object code, the actual output of the compiler.

Object code is the machine-readable version of a program produced by a compiler after it translates the high-level source code. This output, usually in binary or assembly form, is what the computer’s processor can actually execute (often after linking into an executable). It’s typically not human-friendly because it corresponds directly to processor instructions and memory operations. The idea of code for an interpreter describes something different—often bytecode or source-like instructions run by the interpreter, not the compiled machine code. Optimized source code isn’t what the compiler hands off; the run-ready form that results from translation is object code, the actual output of the compiler.