Creation process
Creation process or build process (from English to build “to build”) describes in software development a process by which a finished application program is automatically generated.
procedure
The creation process typically consists of the code - compilation and the left of the compiled code in libraries .
Since a creation process is carried out automatically, the executing creation program requires a formal description of the program or function calls to be carried out (compiler, linker, etc.) as well as the interdependencies of these calls. The dependency description is based on the structure of a creation process. For example, you can define dependencies based on the file extensions used . For example, you can define that each C file (recognizable by the ending “.c”) should be converted into an object file (recognizable by the ending “.o”) with the same name but with a different ending.
To speed up the process, it makes sense to only carry out operations whose input data has changed since the last operation. This means that an object file only needs to be regenerated if one of the corresponding source files has changed.
Dependencies can also exist between files of the same type, for example if a source file “imports” other source files, ie they are automatically inserted. It is also possible to generate source files with the help of code generators .
Extended process
In addition to the executable application program, other products, such as an installation program or technical documentation, can also be generated.
In complex software development environments , the establishment, description and maintenance of build processes is part of build management .
List of programs
Programs for the implementation of creation processes are