{
  "schema_version": "1.0",
  "codex": "thecodex.expert/coding",
  "type": "concept",
  "slug": "how-languages-work/interpretation",
  "name": "Interpretation",
  "section": "How Languages Work",
  "canonical_definition": "Interpretation is the execution of source code or an intermediate representation by a program called an interpreter, which reads and evaluates program instructions at runtime rather than translating the entire program to machine code ahead of time, enabling immediate execution without a separate compilation step and allowing dynamic language features that would be impossible to resolve statically.",
  "confidence": "high",
  "last_verified": "2026-06-01",
  "source_count": 5,
  "url": "https://thecodex.expert/coding/how-languages-work/interpretation/",
  "interpreter_types": ["tree-walking", "bytecode VM", "JIT-compiling VM"],
  "concept_relationship": {
    "requires_first": ["foundations/how-computers-work", "how-languages-work/compilation"],
    "enables": ["languages/python", "languages/javascript", "languages/ruby", "concepts/concurrency"],
    "commonly_confused_with": ["compilation (not a binary distinction)", "JIT vs. AOT compilation"]
  },
  "sources": [
    {"num": 1, "citation": "Aho, A. V., Lam, M. S., Sethi, R. & Ullman, J. D. (2006). Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools (2nd ed.). Pearson.", "tier": 1},
    {"num": 2, "citation": "Lindholm, T. et al. (2024). The Java Virtual Machine Specification, Java SE 21 Edition. Oracle.", "tier": 1},
    {"num": 3, "citation": "Python Software Foundation. dis module documentation. docs.python.org/3/library/dis.html.", "tier": 1},
    {"num": 4, "citation": "Google. V8 JavaScript Engine documentation. v8.dev/docs.", "tier": 1},
    {"num": 5, "citation": "PEP 659 — Specialising Adaptive Interpreter. peps.python.org/pep-0659/.", "tier": 1}
  ]
}