American computer scientist who helped develop the first computer programming compiler for the MIT "Whirlwind" computer in 1953. A compiler is a program that translates a high-level computer language into machine language. Compilers make it possible to write sophisticated programs without having to write code in either binary (zeros and ones) or hexadecimal (base 16) languages. Compilers also make it possible to write complex programs and to program in high-level languages such as FORTRAN, C++, and BASIC.