Cross compilerA cross compiler is a compiler capable of creating executable code for a platform other than the one on which the compiler is running. For example, a compiler that runs on a PC but generates code that runs on an Android smartphone is a cross compiler. A cross compiler is useful to compile code for multiple platforms from one development host. Direct compilation on the target platform might be infeasible, for example on embedded systems with limited computing resources. Cross compilers are distinct from source-to-source compilers.
C preprocessorThe C preprocessor is the macro preprocessor for several computer programming languages, such as C, Objective-C, C++, and a variety of Fortran languages. The preprocessor provides inclusion of , macro expansions, conditional compilation, and line control. In many C implementations, it is a separate program invoked by the compiler as the first part of translation. The language of preprocessor directives is only weakly related to the grammar of C, and so is sometimes used to process other kinds of .