2.2.1 Conventions

Throughout this manual, the term “the compiler” is often used. It can refer to either all, or some subset of, the collection of applications that form the MPLAB XC32 C/C++ Compiler. Often it is not important to know, for example, whether an action is performed by the parser or code generator application, and it is sufficient to say it was performed by “the compiler.”

It is also reasonable for “the compiler” to refer to the command-line driver (or just driver) as this is the application that is always executed to invoke the compilation process. The C/ASM language driver for the MPLAB XC32 C/C++ Compiler package is called xc32-gcc. The C/C++/ASM language driver is called xc32-g++. The drivers and their options are discussed in 5.7 Driver Option Descriptions. Following this view, “compiler options” should be considered command-line driver options, unless otherwise specified in this manual.

Similarly “compilation” refers to all, or some part of, the steps involved in generating source code into an executable binary image.