From Source Code to Execution: The Mental Model Behind Compilers and Interpreters

Compilers and interpreters aren't black boxes — they're pipelines of focused transformations. Source code moves through a lexer (characters to tokens), a parser (tokens to an AST), and then either an interpreter or compiler. Each stage has a clear job, making the system easier to build, test, and understand. This mental model demystifies language implementation for any developer curious about how code actually runs.