GCC, the GNU Compiler Collection
GCC used to
stand for the GNU C Compiler, but since the compiler supports several
other languages aside from C, it now stands for the GNU Compiler
Collection.
The
GNU Compiler Collection is a full-featured ANSI C compiler with support
for K&R C, as well as C++,
Objective C, Java, Objective C++, Ada and Fortran. GCC provides many
levels of
source code error checking traditionally provided by other tools (such
as lint),
produces debugging information, and can perform many different
optimizations to the resulting object code.
GCC is a portable compiler; it runs on most platforms
available today, and can produce output for many types of processors.
In addition to the processors used in personal computers, it also
supports
microcontrollers, DSPs and 64-bit CPUs.
GCC is the most widely used compiler in Open Source
development.
Key
features include:
- Native compiler
- Can also cross-compile any program, producing executable
files
for a different system from the one used by GCC itself
- Multiple language frontends, for parsing different languages
- A modular design, allowing support for new languages and
architectures to be added
Return
to 'Linux Equivalents' Home Page
Last Updated Monday, March 10 2008 @ 02:41 PM EST
| 
