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https://github.com/modula-dev/m

Modula's modular cross-compiler toolchain
https://github.com/modula-dev/m

cli command-line-interface compiler-toolchain cross-compiler extensible-compiler extensible-frontends frontend modular modular-compiler package-manager

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Modula's modular cross-compiler toolchain

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README 

        
# m

is a modular cross-compiler interface.

It does not contain any frontend or backends on its own,

but rather functions as a toolchain

that allows installing and interoperating compilers

follow `m`'s simple conventions.

The purpose of `m` is to function as the CLI for the

[`garter`](https://modula.dev/garter)

compiler and its components, but `m` itself should be simple enough to allow

cross-compatibility or incorporation into other projects.



## Quick-Use



1. Download or build `m`

2. Install modules

3. Compile by daisy-chaining source files between frontend



Running `m help` after installation should display usage information



## Example Use

If you installed a module for compiling C called c99

and you wanted to produce a Windows executable using the

standard [garter](https://modula.dev/garter) toolchain,

that command would look something like

```

m main.c main.gasm main.gyb main.exe // implicit

m -c99 main.c -a main.gasm -exe main.gyb main.exe // explicit

```

What happens under-the-hood is that the `main.c`

is loaded into the c99 module, and that frontend

outputs `main.gasm` which is loaded into the assembler.

The assembler output, `main.gyb`,

is then loaded into the Windows PE-EXE backend.



> [!NOTE]

> Build paths are a planned feature,

> wherein you can have an input file, an output file,

> and then the `m` toolchain will find the shortest

> compilation path between the input and output modules.

> It will look something like

> ```

> m --build main.c main.exe

> ```



## Module Conventions



Modules should accept the following special commands:

- `--version`, which prints version information

- `--contributors`, which prints the name of the module, and a list of all of its contributors

- `--license`, which prints the name of the module and the shorthand name its license.

For a list of such names, see [choosealicense.com](https://choosealicense.com/).

In the case of custom or other licenses,

the command should either print `custom:proprietary`,

or `custom:foss`. If you are unsure if you should

list your module as `custom:foss`, see [the FSF's four essential freedoms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Free_Software_Definition#The_Four_Essential_Freedoms_of_Free_Software)

- `--mconfig`, which prints the preferred module name, flag, and file extension it should be associated with



For normal use, `m` calls modules with

the `input` and `output` filenames to read and write.

If there are any errors during compilation,

the module should write the error to `output`

and exit with a non-zero status code.



## Licenses



`m` is made available under the copyleft [GPLv3 license](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html).

Assets used by `m`, such as the

[Modula](https://modula.dev) and [garter](https://modula.dev/garter) branding,

are freely available but proprietary.

Modula permits redistribution of those assets alongside

the original or modified GPLv3 code so long as the copyright notice for those assets is still included.



> [!NOTE]

> The default `m license` command is sufficient

> for fufilling this requirement if left as-is