#Preprocessing
In this phase, the preprocessor reads the source code and expands it by:
- replacing the macros with their definitions
- including the header files
- removing the comments The output of this phase is a preprocessed source code file.
#Compilation
In this phase, the compiler reads the preprocessed source code file and generates an assembly code file. The assembly code file contains the instructions that the computer can understand.
#Assembly
In this phase, the assembler reads the assembly code file and generates an object code file. The object code file contains the binary representation of the instructions.
#Linking
In this phase, the linker reads the object code files and combines them into a single executable file. The linker resolves the external references and generates the final executable file.
#Example
Buses