title: What do I need to learn to build an interpreter?
body: <p>For my AQA A2-level Computing project, I've decided to create a basic interpreted programming language, outputting to Console. I don't know how to build an interpreter. I have a copy of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compilers:_Principles,_Techniques,_and_Tools#Second_edition" rel="nofollow noreferrer">purple dragon book</a>, which is all about compiler design, as user166390 said on an answer to <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/14596698/how-to-build-an-interpreter-for-a-small-language">this question</a> that the initial steps to building a compiler are the same to build an interpreter. My question is: is this true? </p>
  
  <p>Can I use the techniques described in the dragon book to write an interpreter? And if so, which steps do I need to use and learn how to use?</p>
  
  <p>Do I need to write a lexical analyser, a syntax analyser, a semantic analyser and an intermediate code generator, for example?</p>
  
  <p>Could I get away with writing a basic parser that reads each line of the source code, parses it, and executes the instruction straight away, or is that a notoriously bad idea?</p>