The Clang project provides a language front-end and tooling infrastructure
for languages in the C language family (C, C++, Objective C/C++, OpenCL,
CUDA, and RenderScript) for the
LLVM
project. Both a GCC-compatible compiler driver (
clang
) and an
MSVC-compatible compiler driver (
clang-cl.exe
) are provided. You
can
get and build
the source today.
Features and Goals
Some of the goals for the project include the following:
End-User Features
:
Fast compiles and low memory use
Expressive diagnostics (
examples
)
GCC & MSVC compatibility
Utility and
Applications
:
Modular library based architecture
Support diverse clients (refactoring, static analysis, code generation,
etc.)
Allow tight integration with IDEs
Use the LLVM 'Apache 2'
License
Internal Design and
Implementation
:
A real-world, production quality compiler
A simple and hackable code base
A single unified parser for C, Objective C, C++, and Objective C++
Conformance with C/C++/ObjC and their variants
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
Features
section, which breaks
each of these down and explains them in more detail.
Development of the new front-end was started out of 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.
Current Status
Clang is considered to
be a production quality C, Objective-C, C++ and Objective-C++ compiler when
targeting any target supported by LLVM. As example, Clang is used in
production to build performance-critical software like Chrome or Firefox.
If you are looking for source analysis or source-to-source
transformation tools, Clang is probably a great solution for you. Please see
the
C++ status
page or the
C status
page for more information about what
standard modes and features are supported.
Get it and get involved!
Start by
getting the code, building it, and
playing with it
. 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. :)
Once you've done that, please consider
getting
involved in the Clang community
. The Clang developers include numerous
volunteer contributors with a variety of backgrounds. If you're
