Phases of a Compiler

1. Lexical Analysis — groups characters into tokens
2. Syntax Analysis — checks token sequence against grammar, builds a parse/syntax tree
3. Semantic Analysis — checks meaning/type-correctness, builds/uses a symbol table
4. Intermediate Code Generation — produces a machine-independent intermediate representation
5. Code Optimization — improves the intermediate code's efficiency
6. Code Generation — produces final target/machine code

MCQ Trap

• This six-phase order (Lexical → Syntax → Semantic → Intermediate Code → Optimization → Code Generation) is one of the most reliably tested sequences in this topic.