from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
separate compilation
<programming> A feature of most modern programming languages
that allows each program {module} to be compiled on its own to
produce an {object file} which the {linker} can later combine
with other object files and {libraries} to produce the final
{executable}. Separate compilation avoids processing all the
source code every time the program is built, thus saving
development time. The object files are designed to require
minimal processing at {link time}. They can also be collected
together into {libraries} and distributed commercially without
giving away source code (though they can be disassembled).
Examples of the output of separate compilation are {C} object
files (extension ".o") and {Java} ".class" files.
(2005-02-19)