Editing Toolchain (section)

{{Short description|A group of tools used in sequence to build software}}

A '''toolchain''' is a set of [[software development tool]]s used to [[software build|build]] and otherwise [[software development|develop]] [[software]]. Often, the tools are executed sequentially and form a [[pipeline (computing)|pipeline]] such that the output of one tool is the input for the next. Sometimes the term is used for a set of related tools that are not necessarily executed sequentially.<ref name="nongnu">{{cite web
 | url = http://www.nongnu.org/avr-libc/user-manual/overview.html
 | title = Toolchain Overview 
 | date = 2012-01-03 | accessdate = 2013-10-21
 | website = nongnu.org
}}</ref><ref name="elinux">{{cite web
 | url = http://elinux.org/Toolchains
 | title = Toolchains
 | date = 2013-09-08 | accessdate = 2013-10-21
 | website = elinux.org
}}</ref><ref name="springer">{{cite book
 | title = Tool Chains in Agile ALM Environments: A Short Introduction
 | date = 2015-10-29 | doi=10.1007/978-3-319-26138-6_40
 | volume = 9416
 | pages=371–380
| series = Lecture Notes in Computer Science
 | last1 = Imran
 | first1 = Saed
 | last2 = Buchheit
 | first2 = Martin
 | last3 = Hollunder
 | first3 = Bernhard
 | last4 = Schreier
 | first4 = Ulf
 | isbn = 978-3-319-26137-9
 }}</ref>

A relatively common and simple toolchain consists of the tools to build for a particular [[operating system]] (OS) and [[Central processing unit|CPU]] architecture; consisting of a [[compiler]], a [[Linker (computing)|linker]], and a [[debugger]]. With a [[cross-compiler]], a toolchain can support [[cross-platform]] development.

For building more complex software systems, many other tools may be in the toolchain. For example, for a [[video game]], the toolchain may include tools for preparing [[sound effect]]s, music, [[Texture (computer graphics)|texture]]s, [[3D model|3-dimensional model]]s and [[animation]]s, and for combining these resources into the finished product.<ref name="nongnu" /><ref name="elinux" />