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With the header files properly included, you can use the C++ compiler to
compile each source-code file separately, producing object code. The
object-code files, by convention, have o extensions:
trains.cxx containers.cxx cars.cxx
*--------------* *--------------* *--------------*
| main | | Member- | | Member- |
| definition | | function | | function |
| | | definitions | | definitions |
| | | | | |
*--------------* *--------------* *--------------*
| | |
v v v
trains.o containers.o cars.o
*--------------* *--------------* *--------------*
| Compiled | | Compiled | | Compiled |
| main | | member- | | member- |
| definition | | function | | function |
| | | definitions | | definitions |
*--------------* *--------------* *--------------*
Most of the work required to translate source code into an executable program lies in producing object files. Fortunately, when you make changes in a big, multiple-file program, you need to recompile only the altered files; you leave unaltered files alone.