Alike humans communicate in natural language, computer systems communicate with each other through programming or coding languages. Alike numerous natural languages, there are also numerous code languages including Javascript, Swift, HTML, CSS, SQL, JAVA, Python, PHP, and others. Technological advancement sometimes requires the translation of one programming or coding language into another. Code Language Translation is possible but not that straightforward.
Need for code language translation
The need to translate codes or programs arises when you want to run a program on a different platform (like a mobile application on a website) or a different operating system (like an android application of IOS). Translating programs or codes from one language to another is called porting.
The complication in translating code language
To understand the complication of Code Language Translation, it is essential to understand the nature of code language. A code or programming language works as a straightforward and clear instruction to run a software or program on a computer. This is why the translation should be in the same sequence with exact instructions and syntax to run properly. If there exists any single error in translation then the software won’t be able to work because the computer won’t be able to recognize the code.
Because, unlike humans, the computer cannot guess the intent of a coded message or understands the meaning from the context. To understand this, take the example that if you translate an article written in the Chinese language into the English language using Google Translate then you will get a translated version will slight (or in some cases major) variations. But humans can guess and understand the core of the message from the context. Whereas, the computers lack this ability and that is why even a slight difference in translated code will create an error and won’t recognize the translated code.
How codes can be translated
Despite the inherent complication, it is still possible to translate the codes from one programming language into another with the help of transcompiler tools. There are many tools for human assistance to translate the code. The 6 famous tools are:
- JLCA: Java language conversion assistant to convert Java into visual C# code
- PERTHON: Translates Python into Perl5.x
- BCX: BCX basic source to C and C++ conversion
- Facebook’s hiphop: converts PHP into C++
- Google’s GWT: Converts Java applications into HTML and Javascript for web-browsers
- Facebook’s Transcoder AI: Aids translation between Java, C++, and Python
The Code Language Translation achieved through these tools is not entirely applicable to running the program in the new language.
Manual Help
The translated codes via tools need manual human help to run the translated version of programs. As these tools lack diversity and are incapable of translating accurately the complete software setup. These tools can only use to convert basic and linear programs and are unsuitable for complicated and advanced programs. In essence, these tools are good enough only to translate certain parts of software or programs which need further tweaking from a human to accurately write the code. In simple words, these tools save some human time by giving a head start and translating chunks of codes that need further refining by humans.
