Itanium® Architecture for Programmers: Understanding 64-Bit Processors and EPIC Principles

3.2. Program Development Steps

Few computer programs are successfully produced in final form in a single pass. Large real-world software development projects usually involve the endeavors of teams of designers, coders, and testers. Even when only one person's efforts are involved, a measure of discipline and order in the development process almost always leads to a better result. Figure 3-1 outlines the stepwise process of developing software using the typical tools of a programming environment: a text editor, an assembler (or compiler for a higher level language), a linker, and a loader (or the system facility that runs a program). Not all of the features in Figure 3-1 are provided with every programming environment, which is a major reason ...