Editing program

{{title|Program}}
A '''program''' is an ordered set of operations that are processed by a processing unit (e.g. [[CPU]], [[GPU]], and [[calculator chip]]s) or a processing program (e.g. an [[interpreter]] and [[virtual machine]]). 

A program is usually bundled along with [[documentation]] and any [[dependency|dependent]] [[data]] and [[libraries]]. This bundle is collectively referred to as [[software]]. Such software is further classified into [[system software]] and [[application software]].

== Overview ==
A program is an ordered set of operations that implements one or more [[algorithm]] in order to solve some problem or complete a task. Programs are usually written by a programmer using a [[programming language]], however they may also be created automatically using specialized code generators. [[Programming]] involves the writing of [[source code]], testing, and modifying the code appropriately. [[Software engineering]] is the discipline under which program development is done which involves the [[software design|design]], [[software construction|construction]], [[software testing|testing]], and [[software maintenance|maintenance]]. 

=== Compilation & Translation ===
[[File:Basic stamp 2p24.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Parallax]]'s Basic Stamp 2 board ({{parallax|BS2P24}}). This board has a [[CPU]] and a [[BASIC]] [[interpreter]] on-board.]]
Traditionally, programs in human-readable form ([[source code]]) were converted into an [[executable]] file which could be executed directly by the underlying hardware. Over time a number of other alternatives were developed:

:'''Compiled Program''' is a [[machine code]] version of the of the original program that was in [[source code]] form. The machine code was generated by a [[compiler]] which performed the [[compilation|conversion]]. [[Machine code]] can be executed directly by the underlying hardware. This is the kind of process that goes along with languages such as [[C]], [[C++]], [[Fortran]], and [[Lisp]] (see [[compiled language]]). Compiled programs can take advantage of the raw performance capabilities of the 

:'''Emulated Program''' is a [[p-code]] (or bytecode) version of the original program that was in [[source code]] form. The portable code was generated by a [[compiler]], however, unlike machine code, p-code cannot typically be executed directly by the hardware and instead needs the assistance of a [[virtual machine]] in order to process such code. This is the idea behind languages such as [[Java]] and [[MATLAB]].

:'''Interpreted Program''' is a program that is identical to the original [[source code]]. In this kind of methodology, the code is interpreted and executed on the fly. This is the idea behind languages such as , [[Python]], and [[PHP]] (see [[interpreted language]]).

=== Execution & Interpretation ===
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== Classification ==
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