[[Category:Encyclopedia]]'''Bytecode''' is an intermediate step in some languages between source code and machine code. The bytecode is generated by a compiler or [[wp:Interpreter (computing)|interpreter]] and then either interpreted when it is run (languages like [[SmallTalk]], [[Python]], [[PHP]], [[Forth]], [[OCaml]], and [[Tcl]] use a [[Java Virtual Machine|virtual machine]]) or compiled further to optimized machine code. [[Just-In-Time]] [[compiler|compilers]] can interpret the bytecode only when needed and even optimize code that is run very often; this is a common approach with [[Java]] and [[C sharp|C#]].