Compiler or Programming Language: Which Came First

Have you ever think about this? Which came first, the compiler or the programming language?

This is like the classic causality dilemma on "chicken and egg" question. Here is what I think the sequence of how it comes:

1. Machine code: The 1st program was written directly in the hardware's machine code
2. Assembler (Interpreter): A program written in machine code to interpret ASM into machine code.
3. Compiler: This is a set of programs (lexical analyser, parser linker etc) which could convert source code to assembler/machine code.

Links:

• Bootstrapping (compilers)

How to Make a Compiler?

If you ever interested in making your own compiler, try this:

• Create a Language Compiler for the .NET Framework