What is the difference between compile code and executable code?

build compilation terminology
Lazer picture Lazer · Feb 22, 2010 · Viewed 62.3k times · Source

I always use the terms compile and build interchangeably.

What exactly do these terms stand for?

Answer

Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams picture Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams · Feb 22, 2010

Compiling is the act of turning source code into object code.

Linking is the act of combining object code with libraries into a raw executable.

Building is the sequence composed of compiling and linking, with possibly other tasks such as installer creation.

Many compilers handle the linking step automatically after compiling source code.

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