what is tool chain used in your IDE (compiler, assembler, linker)?

what is tool chain used in your IDE(compiler, assembler, linker)

Hi,

In one of the interview i faced a question like what are the tool chain used in your IDE, the tool chain means compiler, assembler and linker.

I know what are the properties of the compiler, assembler and linker, but i don't know about what are the different types compilers, assembler and linker's existed in the programming world.

I frequently used KEIL-ID, coocox, IAR IDE's, can any one explain about the what are the compiler, assembler, linker for this IDE's.

can any please explain the what is the tool chain, and what are the different tool chain existed in the programming world.

Thanks & Regards,
Chandu.Kurapati.

Re: what is tool chain used in your IDE(compiler, assembler, linker)

IDE is very simple... it means just giving u a graphical view to use ur software...
eg if u are into linux/cmd u can program ur software through commands or terminal...there u dont have a IDE...(or the cmd/termial is IDE )
but just to get u in ease of doing programming u prefer IDE. IDE provides u a lot of things..(eg mikroc IDE is better than MPLAB cos it has lot of options ). but the compiler does major work of converting ur C code to machine language.. eg (keil uses Keil/IAR arm compiler ).. Compiler is microcontroller specific(actually microcontroller family specfic like Cortex M series)..... u must know for which controller u are using.
In linux u use gcc compiler..... they(compiler) can be changed for a specfic controller like gcc-arm-toolchain u can get free from net.

A toolchain is the set of compiler + linker + librarian + any other tools you need to produce the executable (+ shared libraries, etc) for the target. A debugger and/or IDE may also count as part of a toolchain. {ctrl + V }