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Book Overview & Buying
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Table Of Contents
Software Architecture with C++ - Second Edition
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Each module, after compilation, is compiled not only into the object file but also into a module interface file.
An object file is an intermediate, machine-readable file generated by the compiler that contains machine code and metadata such as a symbol table, which the linker needs to combine the object file with other object files and libraries into a final executable.
Functionally, a modular interface file is similar to the header file, but it significantly speeds up compilation and reduces build times by pre-compiling and reusing module interface files. The interface file is binary and exports only public entities such as types, functions, templates, and variables. So, the compiler quickly scans this pre-parsed file instead of re-parsing the source code and its dependencies repeatedly.
This approach separates concerns because the object file contains the compiled implementation, while the interface file contains the declarations and definitions needed...