Final answer:
A symbol table is a data structure used by compilers to map the names of symbols to their corresponding memory addresses or values, while a relocation table is used in executable files to facilitate the loading of the program into memory.
Step-by-step explanation:
Symbol Table:
A symbol table is a data structure used by compilers to map the names of symbols (such as variables, functions, or labels) to their corresponding memory addresses or values. It is typically used during the compilation process to resolve symbol references and ensure that symbols are defined before they are used.
Relocation Table:
A relocation table is a data structure used in executable files to facilitate the loading of the program into memory. It contains information about the addresses of symbols and how they should be modified when the program is loaded. The relocation table allows the operating system to dynamically adjust the addresses of symbols to match their actual locations in memory.
In summary, a symbol table is used by compilers to keep track of symbols and their addresses, while a relocation table is used by the operating system to adjust symbol addresses when loading an executable into memory.