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<h1>clang: a C language family frontend for LLVM</h1> | |
<p>The goal of the Clang project is to create a new C, C++, Objective C and | |
Objective C++ front-end for the <a href="http://www.llvm.org/">LLVM</a> | |
compiler.</p> | |
<h2><a name="goals">Features and Goals</a></h2> | |
<p>Some of the goals for the project include the following:</p> | |
<ul> | |
<li>Real-world, production quality compiler.</li> | |
<li>A single unified parser for C, Objective C, C++, and Objective | |
C++.</li> | |
<li>Language conformance with these languages and their variants, like | |
C90, C99, etc.</li> | |
<li>GCC compatibility: support GCC extensions, but allow them to be | |
disabled.</li> | |
<li><a href="features.html#performance">High performance and low memory | |
use</a>.</li> | |
<li>Support many clients such as refactoring, static analysis, as well as | |
code generation.</li> | |
<li>Build a library-based architecture with finely crafted APIs, allowing | |
the code to be reused in many ways.</li> | |
<li>Design for integration with IDEs as well as code generation with the | |
<a href="http://llvm.org">LLVM Optimizer and Code Generator</a>.</li> | |
<li><a href="features.html#expressivediags">Expressive diagnostics</a>: | |
warnings and errors that are actually helpful and make sense.</li> | |
<li>Use the LLVM <a | |
href="http://llvm.org/svn/llvm-project/cfe/trunk/LICENSE.TXT">'BSD' | |
License</a>.</li> | |
<li>Finally, make the code clean and simple enough to make it understandable | |
to anyone who knows the languages involved and has a basic idea of | |
compilers work.</li> | |
</ul> | |
<p>Of course this is only a rough outline of the goals and features of | |
Clang. To get a true sense of what it is all about, see the <a | |
href="features.html">Features</a> section. The Features section breaks | |
each of these down and explains them in more detail.</p> | |
<h2>Why?</h2> | |
<p>The development of a new front-end was started out of a need -- a need | |
for a compiler that allows better diagnostics, better integration with | |
IDEs, a license that is compatible with commercial products, and a | |
nimble compiler that is easy to develop and maintain. All of these were | |
motivations for starting work on a new front-end that could | |
meet these needs.</p> | |
<p>A good (but quite dated) introduction to Clang can be found in the | |
following video lectures:</p> | |
<ul> | |
<li><a href="clang_video-05-25-2007.html">Clang Introduction</a> | |
(May 2007)</li> | |
<li><a href="clang_video-07-25-2007.html">Features and Performance of | |
Clang</a> (July 2007)</li> | |
</ul> | |
<p>For a more detailed comparison between Clang and other compilers, please | |
see the <a href="comparison.html">clang comparison page</a>.</p> | |
<h2>Current Status</h2> | |
<p>Clang is still in early development stages. If you are looking for | |
source analysis or source-to-source transformation tools, clang is probably | |
a great solution for you. If you want to use it as a drop in C compiler, it | |
is not yet ready.</p> | |
<p>Clang currently has pretty good parsing and semantic analysis support for | |
C and Objective-C right now, and bugs are usually quickly fixed once | |
reported. C++ support is still very early, and we don't expect to have | |
respectable C++ support for another 2 years or so.</p> | |
<h2>Get Involved</h2> | |
<p>The developers of Clang include contributers from Apple and numerous | |
other volunteers. If you are interested in joining the community or | |
learning more, please consider joining the <a | |
href="http://lists.cs.uiuc.edu/mailman/listinfo/cfe-dev">cfe-dev</a> | |
mailing list, or start by browsing its archives.</p> | |
<p>If you are interested in trying out Clang, please see the build | |
instructions on the <a href="get_involved.html#build">Get Involved</a> | |
page.</p> | |
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