lfs-book/appendixa/gcc-desc.xml

<sect2>
<title>Contents</title>

<para>The GCC package contains compilers, preprocessors and the GNU C++
Library.</para>

</sect2>

<sect2><title>Description</title>

<sect3><title>Compiler</title>
<para>A compiler translates source code in text format to a format
that a computer understands. After a source code file is compiled into
an object file, a linker will create an executable file from one or more
of these compiler generated object files.</para></sect3>

<sect3><title>Preprocessor</title>
<para>A preprocessor pre-processes a source file, such as including
the contents of header files into the source file. It's a good idea to 
not 
do this manually to save a lot of time. Someone just inserts a line
like #include &lt;filename&gt;. The preprocessor inserts the
contents of that file into the source file. That's one of the things a
preprocessor does.</para></sect3>

<sect3><title>C++ Library</title>
<para>The C++ library is used by C++ programs. The C++ library contains
functions that are frequently used in C++ programs. This way the
programmer doesn't have to write certain functions (such as writing a
string of text to the screen) from scratch every time he creates a
program.</para></sect3>

</sect2>