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<h1>clang: a C language family frontend for LLVM</h1> | |
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<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. You can <a href="get_started.html">get and build</a> the source | |
today.</p> | |
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<h2><a name="goals">Features and Goals</a></h2> | |
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<p>Some of the goals for the project include the following:</p> | |
<p><b><a href="features.html#enduser">End-User Features</a></b>:</p> | |
<ul> | |
<li>Fast compiles and low memory use</li> | |
<li>Expressive diagnostics</li> | |
<li>GCC compatibility</li> | |
</ul> | |
<p><b><a href="features.html#applications">Utility and | |
Applications</a></b>:</p> | |
<ul> | |
<li>Modular library based architecture</li> | |
<li>Support diverse clients (refactoring, static analysis, code generation, | |
etc)</li> | |
<li>Allow tight integration with IDEs</li> | |
<li>Use the LLVM 'BSD' License</li> | |
</ul> | |
<p><b><a href="features.html#design">Internal Design and | |
Implementation</a></b>:</p> | |
<ul> | |
<li>A real-world, production quality compiler</li> | |
<li>A simple and hackable code base</li> | |
<li>A single unified parser for C, Objective C, C++, and Objective C++</li> | |
<li>Conformance with C/C++/ObjC and their variants</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, which breaks | |
each of these down and explains them in more detail.</p> | |
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<h2>Why?</h2> | |
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<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> | |
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<h2>Current Status</h2> | |
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<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> | |
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<h2>Get it and get involved!</h2> | |
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<p>Start by <a href="get_started.html">getting the code, building it, and | |
playing with it</a>. This will show you the sorts of things we can do | |
today and will let you have the "clang experience" first hand: hopefully | |
it will "resonate" with you. :)</p> | |
<p>Once you've done that, please consider <a href="get_involved.html">getting | |
involved in the clang community</a>. The clang developers include numerous | |
volunteer contributors with a variety of backgrounds. If you're | |
interested in | |
following the development of clang, signing up for a mailing list is a good | |
way to learn about how the project works.</p> | |
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