Understanding compilers

In this chapter, we will learn about the process of generating an executable file from a Qt project. This process is what we call compile or build. The tool that is used for this purpose is called a compiler. In the following section, we will learn what a compiler is and how to use it to generate an executable file for our Qt project.

What is a compiler?

When we develop an application, either using Qt or any other software development kit, we often have to compile our project into an executable, but what is actually going on when we're compiling our project?

A compiler is a piece of software that transforms computer code written in a high-level programming language or computer instructions into a machine code or lower-level form that can be read and executed by a computer. This low-level machine code is very different depending on the operating system and computer processor you're running, but you don't have to worry about it as the compiler will convert it for you.

That...