How can I compile, assemble and link a C++ file using Clang?

Question

I have been coding for over 5 years and would now like to take a step away from IDE's and try a project without one. I have the things I need to get started (I think), a HelloWorld.cpp file, the Windows Command Prompt open and Clang installed.

Now that I have these things my question is this - What do I need to type into the Command Prompt to make Clang take my C++ code in the HelloWorld.cpp file and compile it into a separate file containing the assembly code, and then make Clang take my assembly code and assemble it into a separate file containing the object code, and then finally make Clang take my object code and link it into a separate file containing the machine code?

Ultimately meaning at the end I will have 4 files, one with C++ code, one with assembly code, one with object code and finally one with machine code. The point of all of this being the ability to read and understand each stage of the process before running the file containing the machine code.

Being someone who has left the world of IDE's for the first time, I find the official Clang documentation very confusing and cannot find a straight answer to my question.

Normally you just compile and link in two steps. It's usually not necessary to keep the intermediary files. — hookenz, Dec 07 '20 at 20:51
Don't do _everything_ manually. At least let CMake help you. — nada, Dec 07 '20 at 20:51

score 6 · Answer 1 · edited Dec 07 '20 at 20:54

6

Same as with GCC, and I'll do you one better by first preprocessing the source file. In principle Clang also can emit LLVM bitcode or LLVM IR as two extra intermediate stages.

clang++ source.cpp -E
clang++ source.ii -S
clang++ source.s -c
clang++ source.o

This last one gives a.out as an executable file. You can define the output file for each command by appending

-o output.file

The extensions may not be 100% correct. Just check what comes out.

edited Dec 07 '20 at 20:54

Peter Cordes

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answered Dec 07 '20 at 20:51

rubenvb

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Thanks for the edit, I didn't have a computer at hand to see what comes out myself. – rubenvb Dec 07 '20 at 21:50

How can I compile, assemble and link a C++ file using Clang?

1 Answers1