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8. Features of compiler (5)

Makes source code independent

It has been mentioned that machine code is CPU specific, and it has been mentioned that most programmers produce software using a high level language. And a compiler is the go-between.

This combination means that effectively compilers allow the source code to be independent of the target processor. This is great news. As it means the company paying the programmer to produce source code does not have to pay yet another programmer to produce code for a different processor. They just have to invest in a suitable compiler.

This is called 'code portability'