toolchain

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

A toolchain is a set of software development tools used to build and otherwise develop software. Often, the tools are executed sequentially and form a 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.{{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

}}{{cite web

| url = http://elinux.org/Toolchains

| title = Toolchains

| date = 2013-09-08 | accessdate = 2013-10-21

| website = elinux.org

}}{{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

}}

A relatively common and simple toolchain consists of the tools to build for a particular operating system (OS) and CPU architecture; consisting of a compiler, a 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 effects, music, textures, 3-dimensional models and animations, and for combining these resources into the finished product.