Conversion of programs between computers: Interpreters, simulators and compilers

摘要

The concepts of interpretive simulation of one machine by another and of direct translation of computer programs are examined. Definitions are suggested for these processes, in terms of relationships between abstract machines. Given that one object machine can simulate, in an interpretive sense, another source machine, we seek to define the conditions under which the object machine can have a program which is a direct translation of the one in the source machine. It is shown that under the suggested definitions this is generally the case, even though the direct translation may be no more efficient than the interpretive simulation.