C++ Execution Pipeline

From human-readable source to machine code on the CPU — every stage of the compiled-language lifecycle

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steps

Stage 1 of 8·The Source Files

step 1

circle.h

Header — declarations & macros

main.cpp

Uses area(); prints result

circle.cpp

Defines area()

Speednormal

A C++ program is plain text spread across source files (.cpp) and headers (.h). The CPU cannot run a single character of this — it is for humans. Our example has three files: a header declaring area(), a main.cpp that calls it, and circle.cpp that defines it. The toolchain will turn all of this into one native executable.

Pipeline · artifact at each stage

Source.cpp / .h

Preprocessortranslation unit

Compiler.s assembly

Assembler.o object

Linkerexecutable

Loaderprocess image

CPUrunning

Active Recall

Question 1 / 3

You get "undefined reference to area(double)". Which stage failed?

Under the Hood

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DNSresolving host

TCPconnecting

TLShandshake

HTTPrequesting

DSAverse

C++ Execution Pipeline

C++ Execution Pipeline