C++ is a compiled language. That means that to get a C++ program to run, you must first translate it from a human-readable form to something a machine can “understand.” That translation is done by a program called a compiler.

When you program in C++, you mainly go through 4 phases during development:

1. Code — writing the program
2. Save — saving the program
3. Compile — compiling via the terminal
4. Execute — executing via the terminal

And repeat (debug the errors if needed).

Note: Up until now, we’ve been doing the magic for you; Step 2, 3, and 4 were all done by simply pressing the Run button.