NAME
clif - C-like Interpreter Framework (v0.92)
SYNOPSIS
clif [ option | filename ]...
WARNING
The information in this manual page can be incomplete. For full
documentation see ‘The Interpreter Clif Programmer’s Guide’.
DESCRIPTION
Clif - C-like Interpreter Framework is open-ended system for fast
development of programs with C syntax. The program is compiled and if
syntactic correct, code is immediately generated. The code is generated
for a virtual machine. The virtual machine is a part of the framework.
The Clif works in two basic modes as an interpreter and/or as a
compiler (see ‘-fhandle-main’ option). The interpreter mode is default.
In the interpreter mode, the Clif compiles each function and each loop
only once and generated code is executed repetitively. (This is kind of
optimization; the source code is not parsed over and over again.)
The compiler mode is entered if ‘-fhandle-main’ option is specified.
The files are compiled and code is generated. When the compilation
phase is finished, Clif searches for the ‘main’ function and starts
execution of it.
The Clif is submitted with subset of standard C library. The subset is
still under development. Intrinsic functions can be easily enhanced for
user’s purposes.
There are interface functions supporting automatic control and data
acquisition, that can be optionally compiled with Clif.
The Clif does not recognize bit-field definition syntax of the C
language. The C preprocessor is not implemented yet.
There could be discrepancies between the Clif and the ANSI C Standard.
We are working on unifying of semantic of the Clif with the ANSI C
Standard.
OPTIONS
For each command line, one or more filename can be specified (usually
with .ci suffix). The files are parsed in order of specification in the
command line. The file clif.ini is implicitly opened. It is an
initialization file. Options used invariably are specified in the file.
Some of -fname options have a -fno-name form. Default value is always
mentioned in the option description. Summary of options follows.
Explanations are in next sections.
Overall Options
-bc -c -copying -help -v -version -verbose -warranty
Options Controlling Clif behavior
-fcall-by-reference -fno-call-by-reference -fcall-by-value
-fno-call-by-value -fhandle-main
Debugging Options
-g -dy
Warning Options
-w -Wcomment -Wformat -Wimplicit -Wreturn-type -Wtrigraphs
-Wuninitialized -Wall -W -Waggregate-return -Wunused
OVERALL OPTIONS
-bc option specifies number of 512-Byte pages for the Clif
environment main memory. The arithmetical and temporary stack is
multiple of this option as well.
-c Compile only. (Not fully supported yet.)
-copying
Show copying.
-help Show short help.
-v, -version
Show version.
-verbose
Prints general purpose of the Clif and authors.
-warranty
Show warranty.
OPTIONS CONTROLLING CLIF BEHAVIOR
-fcall-by-reference
Specifies parameter passing mechanism (default). If explicitly
specified, ‘-fno-call-by-value’ must be specified as well.
-fno-call-by-reference
do not pass parameter by reference. If explicitly specified,
‘-fcall-by-value’ must be specified as well.
-fcall-by-value
call by value parameter passing mechanism. If explicitly
specified, ‘-fno-call-by-reference’ must be specified.
-fno-call-by-value
do not pass parameters by value (default). If explicitly
specified, ‘-fcall-by-reference’ must be specified.
-fhandle-main
simulate compiler-like behavior. The files on the command line
and included files are compiled. The ‘main’ function must be
defined. After parsing pass, the generated code is executed. The
main function is the beginning of execution.
DEBUGGING OPTIONS
-g produce debugging information. The source lines are output
during virtual machine code execution.
-dy dump debugging information during parsing to standard error.
WARNING OPTIONS
-w Inhibit all warning messages.
-Wcomment
Warn when a comment-start sequence ‘/*’ appears in a comment.
-Wformat
Check calls to ‘printf’, ‘scanf’, etc., to make sure that the
arguments supplied have types appropriate to the specified
format string.
-Wimplicit
Warn if a function or parameter is implicitly declared.
-Wreturn-type
Warn if the return statement is without return value in non-void
function, or with a value in ‘void´ function.
-Wtrigraphs
Warn about trigraphs usage.
-Wuninitialized
An automatic variable is used without first being initialized.
-Wall All of the above warnings.
-W Print extra warning messages.
-Waggregate-return
Warn if any functions that return structures or unions are
defined or called.
-Wunused
Warn whenever a variable is unused aside from its declaration.
FILES
file.ci Clif source file
clif.ini Initialization file
SEE ALSO
cc(1), gcc(1), as(1), ld(1), gdb(1), adb(1), dbx(1), sdb(1).
The Interpreter Clif. Programmers Guide., L. Koren and T. Hruz
BUGS
There are many, for sure. Please, help to make this software better and
report them to Ludovit Koren <koren@vm.stuba.sk>. For instructions on
reporting bugs, see the Interpreter Clif Programmer’s Guide.
COPYING
Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
preserved on all copies.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
permission notice identical to this one.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this
manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified
versions, except that this permission notice may be included in
translations approved by the Free Software Foundation instead of in the
original English.
AUTHORS
See the Interpreter Clif Programmer’s Guide for the contributors to
Clif.