Build Process

Preprocessing

• Prepares the source code before actual compilation. It involves tasks like macro expansion, including header files, and removing comments

Compile

• Translates into assembly code.

• Checks syntax errors and generates intermediate assembly instructions

• Includes code optimization at this stage

Assemble

• takes the assembly code generated by the compiler and converts it into machine code (binary instructions)

Link

• Combines multiple object files into a single executable.
• Resolves external references (e.g., calls to functions defined in other files) and binds together code and data from libraries and other object files