1. files - source, object, and executable

   1. compilers produce object from source

   2. linkers produce executable from object

   3. the compiler usually hides the linker

2. source files - program text; human readable and writable

3. object files - machine code; pieces of programs; machine readable

4. executable files - more machine code; whole programs

5. identifying files

   1. extensions to file names

      1. source (.cc, .cpp, .C, .h)

      2. object .o

   2. magic cookie in the file

      1. /etc/magic

   3. both used by most systems

6. convention - not enforced but expected

   1. people and software get confused if you don't follow conventions

   2. know and understand them before ignoring them

7. c++ source files

   1. .cc - c++ source files - code

   2. .h - c++ header files - definitions (type, global, class, const)

   3. putting code in .h file is frowned upon - but templates

8. c++ include files - c++ standard, c standard, the rest (quasi standard)

   1. c++ standard includes don't have the .h

      1. #include <iostream>

      2. can have the .h - but <string> is not <string.h>

   2. c standard includes don't have the .h and have a c in front

      1. math.h - #include <cmath>

This page last modified on 23 July 2001.