What Is Incremental Linking?
Incremental linking is a linker mode that patches an existing output binary to reflect only the object files that changed, rather than rebuilding the executable from scratch. By reusing most of the previous link, it cuts the time of the final link step in iterative development. It trades a slightly larger or less optimized binary for speed.
Why it matters
The link step can be a serial bottleneck at the end of every build, and incremental linking shortens it during rapid iteration. It is most useful for local developer loops; release builds usually relink fully for a clean, optimized result. Whether it helps in CI depends on whether prior link state is preserved between runs.
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