Which term describes a program in a high-level language before compilation?

Which term describes a program in a high-level language before compilation?

• A. Object code
• B. Executable
• C. Source code
• D. Binary code

Answer: (C)

This question is about what term refers to code written in a high-level language before it is compiled. Source code is the term used for a program written in a high-level language like C, Java, or Python; it’s the human-readable form that expresses the program’s logic using the language’s syntax. Before a computer can run it, a compiler (or interpreter in some cases) translates this source code into a lower-level form. The output of compilation is object code, which is typically not human-readable, and when linked, becomes an executable that the system can run. Binary code describes the machine-language representation that the CPU executes, i.e., the final binary form. So the term that describes the program before compilation is source code.

This question is about what term refers to code written in a high-level language before it is compiled. Source code is the term used for a program written in a high-level language like C, Java, or Python; it’s the human-readable form that expresses the program’s logic using the language’s syntax. Before a computer can run it, a compiler (or interpreter in some cases) translates this source code into a lower-level form. The output of compilation is object code, which is typically not human-readable, and when linked, becomes an executable that the system can run. Binary code describes the machine-language representation that the CPU executes, i.e., the final binary form. So the term that describes the program before compilation is source code.