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<h1>Clang: a C language front-end for LLVM</h1>
<h2>About</h2>
<p>The goal of the Clang project is to create a new <a href="http://llvm.org/svn/llvm-project/cfe/trunk/LICENSE.TXT">BSD Licensed</a> C, C++, & ObjC front-end for the <a href="http://www.llvm.org/">LLVM</a> compiler.
<br><br>
<p>In the context of this website, the term Clang actually refers to two things:
<p>1) A "code name" for the LLVM compiler front-end.
<p>2) A specific library in the LLVM front-end -- in particular the "driver" that makes all the other libraries work together.
<br><br>
<p>The developers of Clang include contributers from Apple and numerous other volunteers.
<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 compiler that is easier to develop and maintain. All of these were motivations for starting work on a new C/C++/ObjC front-end that could meet these needs.
<p>An excellent introduction to Clang can be found in the following video lectures:
<ul>
<li><a href="clang_video-05-25-2007.html">Clang Introduction</a>
<li><a href="clang_video-07-25-2007.html">Features and Performance of Clang</a>
</ul>
<h2>Features/Goals</h2>
Some of the goals for the project include the following:
<ul>
<li>Real-world, production quality compiler.</li>
<li>A single unified parser for C/ObjC/C++</li>
<li>Language conformance with C, ObjC, C++ (including variants, like C90, C99, etc)</li>
<li>GCC compatibility (supports GCC extensions, but allow them to be disabled)</li>
<li>Library based architecture with finely crafted C++ APIs</li>
<li>High performance</li>
<li>Design for integration with IDEs as well as code generation with <a href="http://llvm.org">LLVM</a>.</li>
<li><a href="features.html#expressivediags">Expressive diagnostics</a></li>
<li>BSD License</li>
</ul>
Of course this is only a rough outline of the goals and features of Clang. To get a true sense of what the new LLVM front-end is all about, as well as why you might want to considering using it, see the <a href="features.html">Features</a> section.
<h2>Try Clang</h2>
If you are a compiler developer and want to try out Clang, then build instructions are available on the <a href="get_involved.html#build">Get Involved</a> page. Note that clang is still early in development. 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.
<h2>Get Involved</h2>
If you are interested in working on Clang, then check out the <a href="get_involved.html">Get Involved</a> section.
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