llvm dev - Mar 2010 - [LLVMdev] Getting started with LLVM on Win32 from non-C/C++ language

I'm looking to get started with LLVM as the back end for a compiler that
ultimately should self-host.
>From an ease of use perspective, the optimum on Windows would be a DLL
along with C header files that I can translate into the front end's
language.

I read in the FAQ:

http://llvm.org/docs/FAQ.html#langs

that "the C bindings in include/llvm-c should help a lot". However,
looking at the contents of llvm-2.6/Release after I've built it on
Cygwin, it looks like I'll have to cobble together a DLL out of the
libraries myself.

I can't imagine I'm the first to want a pre-packaged DLL containing all
the relevant bits, along with DLL exports etc. Has someone else done
this work?

Thanks,

-- Barry

-- 
http://blog.barrkel.com/

Hello Barry,

Are you still using Cygwin?  Why not try using MinGW instead.  I think Cygwin
cannot create .DLL files or if it can, the build scripts are not set up to do it
from Cygwin.  IIRC, Cygwin support is being dropped from later versions of LLVM
so you'll have to either use Visual C++ to compile it or MinGW.  See
http://www.mingw.org for downloads.

--Sam



----- Original Message ----
> From: Barry Kelly <bkelly.ie at gmail.com>
> To: LLVM Developers Mailing List <llvmdev at cs.uiuc.edu>
> Sent: Wed, March 31, 2010 10:22:46 AM
> Subject: [LLVMdev] Getting started with LLVM on Win32 from non-C/C++
language
> 
> I'm looking to get started with LLVM as the back end for a compiler 
> that
ultimately should self-host.
>From an ease of use perspective, 
> the optimum on Windows would be a DLL
along with C header files that I can 
> translate into the front end's
language.

I read in the 
> FAQ:
http://llvm.org/docs/FAQ.html#langs

that "the C bindings in 
> include/llvm-c should help a lot". However,
looking at the contents of 
> llvm-2.6/Release after I've built it on
Cygwin, it looks like I'll have to 
> cobble together a DLL out of the
libraries myself.

I can't imagine I'm 
> the first to want a pre-packaged DLL containing all
the relevant bits, along 
> with DLL exports etc. Has someone else done
this 
> work?
Thanks,

-- Barry

-- 
> 
http://blog.barrkel.com/

_______________________________________________
LLVM 
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http://lists.cs.uiuc.edu/mailman/listinfo/llvmdev

Samuel Crow wrote:
> Are you still using Cygwin?
> Why not try using MinGW instead.  
It was available. I live in Cygwin; MSYS is a poor alternative. Also
generally speaking, open source projects targeting a POSIXy environment
have a higher probability of working first time with Cygwin, so it
serves well for investigation (e.g. no distribution in the GPL sense).
> I think Cygwin cannot create .DLL files
It can.
> or if it can, 
> the build scripts are not set up to do it from Cygwin.
I was able to build a DLL by roughly:

  cd Release/lib
  for f in *.a; ar x $f; done
  rm PluginMain.o
  g++ -shared --export-all-symbols -o LLVM.dll *.o

(Credit to Óscar Fuentes in an old message.)

It doesn't link with Cygwin disabled (-mno-cygwin) because the libraries
have all been compiled without that switch used, of course.

I have yet to try and use the C API directly, however.
>  IIRC, Cygwin support is being 
> dropped from later versions of LLVM so you'll have to either use Visual
C++ to compile
> it or MinGW.
If Visual Studio 2008 were supported, I'd consider using it. The current
solution and project files work less than optimally when auto-upgraded
by VS2008.

Are you still working on an LLVM back end for FPC? What integration
approach are / were you using for that?

-- Barry

-- 
http://blog.barrkel.com/

Hello again Barry,

In order to compile LLVM from Visual C++, you should use CMake to create the
project file.  See http://www.cmake.org/ for downloads.

I was going to work on an FPC compatible backend by adding the Borland Fastcall
calling convention to the x86 backend but I've run into two snags:  1. 
I've never used the TableGen utility and I haven't gotten around to
figuring it out, and 2.  the person who was making the runtime library for the
dialect of BASIC that I'm working on (he was using Delphi) has not been in
contact with us for some time and we're thinking of dropping that runtime
idea and just using a LibC-based solution.


I hope this answers your questions,

--Sam


----- Original Message ----
> From: Barry Kelly <barry.j.kelly at gmail.com>
> To: Samuel Crow <samuraileumas at yahoo.com>
> Cc: LLVM Developers Mailing List <llvmdev at cs.uiuc.edu>
> Sent: Wed, March 31, 2010 12:35:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [LLVMdev] Getting started with LLVM on Win32 from non-C/C++
language
> 
If Visual Studio 2008 were 
> supported, I'd consider using it. The current
solution and project files work 
> less than optimally when auto-upgraded
by VS2008.

Are you still 
> working on an LLVM back end for FPC? What integration
approach are / were you 
> using for that?
-- Barry

-- 
http://blog.barrkel.com/