The book is for compiler programmers who are familiar with concepts of compilers and want to indulge in understanding, exploring, and using LLVM infrastructure in a meaningful way in their work. This book is also for programmers who are not directly involved in compiler projects but are often involved in development phases where they write thousands of lines of code. With knowledge of how compilers work, they will be able to code in an optimal way and improve performance with clean code.

Learn how to build and use all parts of real-world compilers, including the frontend, optimization pipeline, and a new backend by leveraging the power of LLVM core libraries Key Features Get to grips with effectively using LLVM libraries step-by-step Understand LLVM compiler high-level design and apply the same principles to your own compiler Use compiler-based tools to improve the quality of code in C++ projects Book DescriptionLLVM was built to bridge the gap between compiler textbooks and actual compiler development. It provides a modular codebase and advanced tools which help developers to build compilers easily. This book provides a practical introduction to LLVM, gradually helping you navigate through complex scenarios with ease when it comes to building and working with compilers. You’ll start by configuring, building, and installing LLVM libraries, tools, and external projects. Next, the book will introduce you to LLVM design and how it works in practice during each LLVM compiler stage: frontend, optimizer, and backend. Using a subset of a real programming language as an example, you will then learn how to develop a frontend and generate LLVM IR, hand it over to the optimization pipeline, and generate machine code from it. Later chapters will show you how to extend LLVM with a new pass and how instruction selection in LLVM works. You’ll also focus on Just-in-Time compilation issues and the current state of JIT-compilation support that LLVM provides, before finally going on to understand how to develop a new backend for LLVM. By the end of this LLVM book, you will have gained real-world experience in working with the LLVM compiler development framework with the help of hands-on examples and source code snippets.What you will learn Configure, compile, and install the LLVM framework Understand how the LLVM source is organized Discover what you need to do to use LLVM in your own projects Explore how a compiler is structured, and implement a tiny compiler Generate LLVM IR for common source language constructs Set up an optimization pipeline and tailor it for your own needs Extend LLVM with transformation passes and clang tooling Add new machine instructions and a complete backend Who this book is for This book is for compiler developers, enthusiasts, and engineers who are new to LLVM and are interested in learning about the LLVM framework. It is also useful for C++ software engineers looking to use compiler-based tools for code analysis and improvement, as well as casual users of LLVM libraries who want to gain more knowledge of LLVM essentials. Intermediate-level experience with C++ programming is mandatory to understand the concepts covered in this book more effectively.

Become familiar with the LLVM infrastructure and start using LLVM libraries to design a compiler About This Book Learn to use the LLVM libraries to emit intermediate representation (IR) from high-level language Build your own optimization pass for better code generation Understand AST generation and use it in a meaningful way Who This Book Is For This book is intended for those who already know some of the concepts of compilers and want to quickly get familiar with the LLVM infrastructure and the rich set of libraries that it provides. What You Will Learn Get an introduction to LLVM modular design and LLVM tools Convert frontend code to LLVM IR Implement advanced LLVM IR paradigms Understand the LLVM IR Optimization Pass Manager infrastructure and write an optimization pass Absorb LLVM IR transformations Understand the steps involved in converting LLVM IR to Selection DAG Implement a custom target using the LLVM infrastructure Get a grasp of C's frontend clang, an AST dump, and static analysis In Detail LLVM is currently the point of interest for many firms, and has a very active open source community. It provides us with a compiler infrastructure that can be used to write a compiler for a language. It provides us with a set of reusable libraries that can be used to optimize code, and a target-independent code generator to generate code for different backends. It also provides us with a lot of other utility tools that can be easily integrated into compiler projects. This book details how you can use the LLVM compiler infrastructure libraries effectively, and will enable you to design your own custom compiler with LLVM in a snap. We start with the basics, where you'll get to know all about LLVM. We then cover how you can use LLVM library calls to emit intermediate representation (IR) of simple and complex high-level language paradigms. Moving on, we show you how to implement optimizations at different levels, write an optimization pass, generate code that is independent of a target, and then map the code generated to a backend. The book also walks you through CLANG, IR to IR transformations, advanced IR block transformations, and target machines. By the end of this book, you'll be able to easily utilize the LLVM libraries in your own projects. Style and approach This book deals with topics sequentially, increasing the difficulty level in a step-by-step approach. Each topic is explained with a detailed example, and screenshots are included to help you understand the examples.

This book is intended for enthusiasts, computer science students, and compiler engineers interested in learning about the LLVM framework. You need a background in C++ and, although not mandatory, should know at least some compiler theory. Whether you are a newcomer or a compiler expert, this book provides a practical introduction to LLVM and avoids complex scenarios. If you are interested enough and excited about this technology, then this book is definitely for you.

Learn how you can build the next big programming language, compiler, or source code analyzer using LLVM and Clang Key FeaturesExplore Clang, LLVM’s middle-end and backend, in a pragmatic wayDevelop your LLVM skillset and get to grips with a variety of common use casesEngage with real-world LLVM development through various coding examplesBook Description Every programmer or engineer, at some point in their career, works with compilers to optimize their applications. Compilers convert a high-level programming language into low-level machine-executable code. LLVM provides the infrastructure, reusable libraries, and tools needed for developers to build their own compilers. With LLVM’s extensive set of tooling, you can effectively generate code for different backends as well as optimize them. In this book, you’ll explore the LLVM compiler infrastructure and understand how to use it to solve different problems. You’ll start by looking at the structure and design philosophy of important components of LLVM and gradually move on to using Clang libraries to build tools that help you analyze high-level source code. As you advance, the book will show you how to process LLVM IR – a powerful way to transform and optimize the source program for various purposes. Equipped with this knowledge, you’ll be able to leverage LLVM and Clang to create a wide range of useful programming language tools, including compilers, interpreters, IDEs, and source code analyzers. By the end of this LLVM book, you’ll have developed the skills to create powerful tools using the LLVM framework to overcome different real-world challenges. What you will learnFind out how LLVM’s build system works and how to reduce the building resourceGet to grips with running custom testing with LLVM’s LIT frameworkBuild different types of plugins and extensions for ClangCustomize Clang’s toolchain and compiler flagsWrite LLVM passes for the new PassManagerDiscover how to inspect and modify LLVM IRUnderstand how to use LLVM’s profile-guided optimizations (PGO) frameworkCreate custom compiler sanitizersWho this book is for This book is for software engineers of all experience levels who work with LLVM. If you are an academic researcher, this book will help you learn useful LLVM skills in a short time and enable you to build your prototypes and projects quickly. Programming language enthusiasts will also find this book useful for building a new programming language with the help of LLVM.