Can anyone tell me what does "machine" means in Compiler Theory? Does it mean computer in general or operating system? Actually, the problem is I understand the definition of machine language as "the language understand by the computer". But does machine here refers to anything specific other than computer.

Edit: I was reading dragon book Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools. In the class professor told that Java is both compiled and interpreted language. I didn't understand the definition so I referred to the book. I still don't get the following paragraph:

"Java language processors combine compilation and interpretation, as shown in Fig. 1.4. A Java source program may first be compiled into an intermediate form called bytecodes. The bytecodes are then interpreted by a virtual machine. A benefit of this arrangement is that bytecodes compiled on one machine can be interpreted on another machine, perhaps across a network."

Can anyone tell me what does "machine" means in Compiler Theory? Does it mean computer in general or operating system? Actually, the problem is I understand the definition of machine language as "the language understand by the computer". But does machine here refers to anything specific other than computer.

I was reading dragon book Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools. In the class professor told that Java is both compiled and interpreted language. I didn't understand the definition so I referred to the book. I still don't get the following paragraph:

Java language processors combine compilation and interpretation, as shown in Fig. 1.4. A Java source program may first be compiled into an intermediate form called bytecodes. The bytecodes are then interpreted by a virtual machine. A benefit of this arrangement is that bytecodes compiled on one machine can be interpreted on another machine, perhaps across a network.

Can anyone tell me what does "machine" means in Software Engineering? Does it mean computer in general or operating system? Actually, the problem is I understand the definition of machine language as "the language understand by the computer". But does machine here refers to anything specific other than computer.

Edit: I was reading dragon book Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools. In the class professor told that Java is both compiled and interpreted language. I didn't understand the definition so I referred to the book. I still don't get the following paragraph:

"Java language processors combine compilation and interpretation, as shown in Fig. 1.4. A Java source program may first be compiled into an intermediate form called bytecodes. The bytecodes are then interpreted by a virtual machine. A benefit of this arrangement is that bytecodes compiled on one machine can be interpreted on another machine, perhaps across a network."

Can anyone tell me what does "machine" means in Compiler Theory? Does it mean computer in general or operating system? Actually, the problem is I understand the definition of machine language as "the language understand by the computer". But does machine here refers to anything specific other than computer.

Edit: I was reading dragon book Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools. In the class professor told that Java is both compiled and interpreted language. I didn't understand the definition so I referred to the book. I still don't get the following paragraph:

"Java language processors combine compilation and interpretation, as shown in Fig. 1.4. A Java source program may first be compiled into an intermediate form called bytecodes. The bytecodes are then interpreted by a virtual machine. A benefit of this arrangement is that bytecodes compiled on one machine can be interpreted on another machine, perhaps across a network."