Python interpreter

The Python interpreter, in a Windows environment, is a program that has been 'compiled' from the Python source code into a Windows executable and has the extension .exe. The Python interpreter, python.exe, is written in C, an older and extensively used programming language with a more complex syntax.

The Python interpreter, as its name implies, interprets the commands contained within a Python script. When a Python script is run, or executed, the syntax is first checked to make sure that it conforms to the rules of Python (for example, indentation rules are followed, and that the variables follow naming conventions). Then, if the script is valid, the commands contained within are converted into bytecode, a specialized code that is executed by the bytecode interpreter, a virtual machine written in C. The bytecode interpreter further converts the bytecode (which is contained within files that end with the extension .pyc) into the correct machine code for the computer being used, and then the CPU executes the script. This is a complex process, which allows Python to maintain a semblance of simplicity.