build - What is the difference between compile code and executable code?

Question

I always use the terms compile and build interchangeably.

What exactly do these terms stand for?

Answer 1

Compiling is the act of turning source code into object code.

Linking is the act of combining object code with libraries into a raw executable.

Building is the sequence composed of compiling and linking, with possibly other tasks such as installer creation.

Many compilers handle the linking step automatically after compiling source code.