What is the main role of a compiler when processing C code?

The main role of a compiler in C is to transform source code written by a human into machine code understandable by the processor. This process includes several stages:

• Lexical analysis — breaking the code into tokens.
• Syntax analysis — checking the code structure for compliance with the language grammar.
• Semantic analysis — verifying the semantic correctness (e.g., data types).
• Generating intermediate and then machine code.
• Code optimization to improve performance.

Ultimately, the compiler creates an executable file or object code that can be run on the target platform.