How is Python interpreted?

by skuchekar on Mar 13th, 2025 08:42 AM

Python is an interpreted, high-level programming language, which means that its code is executed line-by-line rather than being compiled into machine code beforehand. Here's how the interpretation process works:

Python Classes in Nanded

Source Code Parsing: The Python interpreter reads the source code and checks for syntax errors.

Conversion to Bytecode: The interpreter compiles the source code into an intermediate representation called bytecode. This is a low-level set of instructions that is platform-independent.

Execution by the Python Virtual Machine (PVM): The bytecode is then executed by the Python Virtual Machine (PVM), which translates the bytecode into machine-level instructions that the computer can understand and execute.

Optional Caching: The bytecode is sometimes saved in .pyc files within the __pycache__ directory. This allows for faster execution the next time the script is run, as Python can skip the compilation step if the source code hasn't changed.

Key Characteristics:
Interpreted Nature: Execution happens at runtime, which allows for flexibility and ease of debugging.
Platform Independence: Bytecode can be executed on any platform with a compatible Python interpreter.
Dynamic Typing: Variables and types are determined at runtime.