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Compiled vs Interpreted
Compiled programs can be run without access to the original source code, and without access to a compiler. For example, when your browser executes the code you write in this course, it doesn't use the original code, just the compiled result.
Note how this is different than interpreted languages like Python and JavaScript. With Python and JavaScript the code is interpreted at runtime by a separate program known as the "interpreter". Distributing code for users to run can be a pain because they need to have an interpreter installed, and they need access to the original source code.
Examples of compiled languages
- Go
- C
- C++
- Rust
Examples of interpreted languages
- JavaScript
- Python
- Ruby
Why build Textio in a compiled language?
One of the most convenient things about using a compiled language like Go for Textio is that when we deploy our server we don't need to include any runtime language dependencies like Node or a Python interpreter. We just add the pre-compiled binary to the server and start it up!