GCC

GCC is the compiler system of the GNU environment. GNU is a UNIX-compatible operating system, being developed by the Free Software Foundation, and distributed under the GNU Public License (GPL). GNU software is always distributed with its sources, and the GPL enjoins anyone who modifies GNU software and then redistributes the modified product to supply the sources for the modifications as well. In this fashion, enhancements to the original software benefit the software community at large.

Today GCC is the center-piece of the GNU software. GCC is a re-targetable and re-hostable compiler system, with multiple front ends and a large number of hardware targets. Originally designed as a compiler for C, it now includes front ends for C++, Modula-3, FORTRAN, Objective-C, and most recently Ada 95.

Native GCC compilers are distributed by major hardware vendors such as Sun and SGI as the standard C compiler. SGI have also announced that GCC will be their standard Ada 95 compiler, and that they will submit the compiler for validation in the third quarter of 1995. (It is now validated)

GCC may also be configured as a cross compiler where the compiled program runs on a different (target) computer. GCC already supports many targets including the Motorola M68000 family and Power PC family, the Intel 80x86, i860 and i960 families, the Sparc, the Mips R4000, several Digital Signal Processors.

The GCC compiler is complemented by a set of utility programs for object code translation and so on, and by the GNU debugger, GDB. This debugger has been extended to support the Ada95 syntax for expressions, and works with the DDD graphical user interface.