Which statement describes scripting languages?

• A. They require a separate compiler to run.
• B. They are compiled to binary before execution.
• C. They are interpreted by a software environment on the computer.
• D. They cannot access external libraries.

Answer: (C)

Scripting languages are designed to be run inside a runtime interpreter or software environment that reads and executes the code directly, rather than being compiled into a native binary ahead of time. This setup, seen in Python running under the Python interpreter or JavaScript running inside a web browser, lets you write and test code quickly without a separate compilation step.

That’s why this statement is the best descriptor: it captures the typical execution model where the code is executed by an interpreter or runtime environment. While some implementations may convert code to intermediate bytecode or use just-in-time compilation, the defining experience is running code inside a software environment that interprets it.

The other descriptions don’t fit as well. They’re not inherently required to be compiled to binary first, and many scripting languages can access external libraries through standard import/module mechanisms. While there are exceptions where a compiler or bytecode step is involved, the common behavior is execution by an interpreter or runtime environment.