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1 @c Copyright (C) 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998,
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2 @c 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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3 @c This is part of the GCC manual.
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4 @c For copying conditions, see the file gcc.texi.
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5
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6 @node G++ and GCC
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7 @chapter Programming Languages Supported by GCC
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8
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9 @cindex GCC
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10 @cindex GNU Compiler Collection
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11 @cindex GNU C Compiler
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12 @cindex Ada
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13 @cindex Fortran
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14 @cindex Java
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15 @cindex Objective-C
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16 @cindex Objective-C++
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17 GCC stands for ``GNU Compiler Collection''. GCC is an integrated
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18 distribution of compilers for several major programming languages. These
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19 languages currently include C, C++, Objective-C, Objective-C++, Java,
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20 Fortran, and Ada.
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21
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22 The abbreviation @dfn{GCC} has multiple meanings in common use. The
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23 current official meaning is ``GNU Compiler Collection'', which refers
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24 generically to the complete suite of tools. The name historically stood
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25 for ``GNU C Compiler'', and this usage is still common when the emphasis
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26 is on compiling C programs. Finally, the name is also used when speaking
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27 of the @dfn{language-independent} component of GCC: code shared among the
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28 compilers for all supported languages.
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29
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30 The language-independent component of GCC includes the majority of the
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31 optimizers, as well as the ``back ends'' that generate machine code for
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32 various processors.
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33
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34 @cindex COBOL
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35 @cindex Mercury
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36 @cindex Pascal
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37 The part of a compiler that is specific to a particular language is
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38 called the ``front end''. In addition to the front ends that are
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39 integrated components of GCC, there are several other front ends that
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40 are maintained separately. These support languages such as Pascal,
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41 Mercury, and COBOL@. To use these, they must be built together with
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42 GCC proper.
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43
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44 @cindex C++
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45 @cindex G++
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46 @cindex Ada
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47 @cindex GNAT
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48 Most of the compilers for languages other than C have their own names.
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49 The C++ compiler is G++, the Ada compiler is GNAT, and so on. When we
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50 talk about compiling one of those languages, we might refer to that
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51 compiler by its own name, or as GCC@. Either is correct.
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52
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53 @cindex compiler compared to C++ preprocessor
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54 @cindex intermediate C version, nonexistent
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55 @cindex C intermediate output, nonexistent
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56 Historically, compilers for many languages, including C++ and Fortran,
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57 have been implemented as ``preprocessors'' which emit another high
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58 level language such as C@. None of the compilers included in GCC are
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59 implemented this way; they all generate machine code directly. This
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60 sort of preprocessor should not be confused with the @dfn{C
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61 preprocessor}, which is an integral feature of the C, C++, Objective-C
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62 and Objective-C++ languages.
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