Trace Source Code to an Executable

Describe how source code is turned into an executable via preprocessing, compilation, assembly, and linking. Use a standard C or C++ toolchain as the concrete case, and separate these build phases from actually launching the resulting program.

What a Strong Answer Should Cover

• What each stage takes in, changes, and produces.
• Header inclusion and macro expansion as opposed to generating machine code.
• Object files, symbols, relocations, and how libraries get resolved.
• Why a file may compile yet fail during linking.
• How static versus dynamic linking changes the executable and what it needs at runtime.

Follow-up Questions

• At which phase would an undeclared identifier, an undefined function definition, and a missing shared library usually fail?
• Why can a toolchain merge stages while leaving their conceptual responsibilities unchanged?

Overview: Follow source code through preprocessing, compilation, assembly, and linking, and cover object files, symbol errors, libraries, and how an executable is loaded.