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Basing the definition on whether it's compiled or not doesn't help much.

Python is actually compiled to bytecode, just like Java. Is it not a scripting language?

Or is the distinction that the Python bytecode is interpreted whereas Java is JIT compiled to machine code? Well, Java didn't get the JIT compiler until version 1.3 - so was Java 1.2 a scripting language?

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The distinction is the existence, from the developer’s perspective, of a separate step called “compilation,” which produces an executable artefact which can be distributed but not converted back to the source code. It’s about programming in practice, not fundamental computer science principles.

I agree, this practical view makes more sense. However, the Kotlin compiler can be invoked either explicitly like Java or implicitly like Python. Is Kotlin a scripting language?

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