How the program is converted to machinecode? What are the steps involved in it?

First of all, The code has to be written in any text editor and save

the file with an extension of ".c" for c program and ".cpp" for the C++

programs. The name of the file can be anything (it doesn't matter), but the file

extension is required. Now the program is ready to convert it into a language

that machine can understand (also for the compiler to execute).

Generally in any compiler,the process involves in 3 steps:

1.Preprocessing

2.Compiling

3.Linking

Preprocessing :

First, The program is given to the preprocessor that obeys(look at)

the commands which starts with "#", generally called as "Directives". It will

add the extra code that is required for the directives to execute. It like a editor

that add the things to the program and make the modifications. Infact the

preprocessor is integrated with the compiler, so we probably even notice it at

work.

Compiling :

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Now the modified program goes to the compiler and it converts into

the machine instructions called "ObjectCode". After compiling, the object file is

created (.obj file). The program is not ready to run yet.

Linking :

Then after, Linker combines the object code produced by the

compiler to yield the complete executable program with an extra additional

code added. The extra code that was added here includes the addition of library

functions like printf etc. Finally after this, an executable file is created, that is

ready to run the program. Probably this linking step is automated by the

compiler

The commands necessary to compile and link are vary for the one

operating systems to another.

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