Babel is a free and open-source JavaScript transcompiler that is mainly used to convert ECMAScript 2015+ (ES6+) code into backwards-compatible JavaScript code that can be run by older JavaScript engines.
It allows web developers to take advantage of the newest features of the language..
Advantages of Transpilers
One of the primary advantages of a transpiler is that it allows developers to write code in one programming language, and then convert it into another language without having to rewrite the entire codebase..
A transpiler is sometimes called a source-to-source compiler.
For example, converting C++ code to C code will involve a transpiler.
Converting Python code to Ruby code will involve a transpiler.
Let's note that in these example both source and target languages are at the same level of abstraction..
Compiler: A compiler translates code from a high-level programming language (like Python, JavaScript or Go) into machine code before the program runs.
Interpreter: An interpreter translates code written in a high-level programming language into machine code line-by-line as the code runs..
Examples of compilers include the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) and the Java Development Kit (JDK).
In essence, the main difference between a transpiler and a compiler lies in their output.
While both transform source code, a transpiler outputs code in another high-level language, and a compiler outputs machine code..
The word "transpiler" is uncertain and barely known, hence the people here who ask what a transpiler is.
Cross-compilation is another thing since it means compiling on one platform for another platform.
In all three cases we deal with compilers from one regular language A into another regular language B..
By utilizing a transpiler, you can improve the compatibility and performance of your code, allowing you to take advantage of new and evolving language features.
Note that transpilation is distinct from compilation, which converts code into a machine-readable format for execution..
A good example of transpiler is the Typescript transpiler which converts Typescript code to JavaScript.
Similarily, Babel transpiler can also be used for converting the ES6 JS code to ES5 JS sourcecode.
Compilers also convert the code from one language to other language but both languages are very different in abstraction level.
Distinctive difference of a compiler is it lowers the level of abstraction.
Translator converts the source code from one programming language to another programming language of the same or different level of abstraction.
Note that result can be a machine code, if source code was also a machine code.
Yet the term compiler can apply to a tool that converts the code to another programming language which is not a machine executable code.
Distinctive difference of a compiler is it lowers the level of abstraction.
Source to Source Compiler :
