Compilation Definition

Compilation – is a very important process in the field of computer programming that is through the translation of the text-represented code into a readable-for-a-machine view of instructions that are commonly called “machine code,” causing the process of performing the operations by the machine. It is, therefore, a critical process in software development whereby a developer writes code in a decent manner to allow compatibility and efficiency in its running on varying computing platforms.

Generally, the source code will pass through various stages of compilation from checking for conformity to the grammar rules of a programming language, then optimization, and finally code generation. Compiler generates the machine code of the particular hardware architecture that the computer uses, and therefore, the resultant is an executable file that can be run on a computer. There are many different types of compilers. On the other hand, there are compilers which directly compile to the machine code, but also those which rather compile to intermediate representations, which then might get post-processed by other tools or even interpreters.