Quiz submission record for quiz3-2-2 at Thu Jul  8 01:18:24 2004:

Your Answer for Question 1:
Before compilation of the program, the C preprocessor scans through the actual code for preprocessor commands such as #define and #include.  Its purposes include file inclusion, macro substitution, and conditional inclusion.  Its main purpose is to make code appear cleaner/more readable - it simplifies programming, somewhat.

The C preprocessor is like an interpreter of the code - its input is in C, and its output is in C.  Thus, since it doesn't really do any compiling or changing C code to anything else, it belongs between "C program" and "Compiler" in the diagram.  As K&R pointed out, it's a "separate first step in compilation".

Your Answer for Question 2:
I think for the typical C programmer, having the compiler perform all the work of the assembler and linker doesn't have much impact because the typical C programmer probably just wants his/her code compiled and ready to execute right away.  However, if the programmer were an assembly expert, such a compiler would prevent him/her from optimizing the low level assembly before linking and loading.


Your unique submission ID is quiz3-2-2-cs61c-ck-1089274704-1803.