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https://github.com/stanislaw/llvm-cheatsheet

LLVM, clang, ninja, dyld and others.
https://github.com/stanislaw/llvm-cheatsheet

cheatsheet llvm

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LLVM, clang, ninja, dyld and others.

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# LLVM Cheatsheet

- [LLVM](#llvm)
- [Reduce time needed for building from source](#reduce-time-needed-for-building-from-source)
- [Clang](#clang)
- [Generate human-readable LLVM IR from a file.](#generate-human-readable-llvm-ir-from-a-file)
- [Generate LLVM Bitcode from a file.](#generate-llvm-bitcode-from-a-file)
- [One-line compilation](#one-line-compilation)
- [lli](#lli)
- [Execute Objective-C code compiled into LLVM Bitcode using LLVM JIT](#execute-objective-c-code-compiled-into-llvm-bitcode-using-llvm-jit)
- [CMake](#cmake)
- [Known issues: custom toolchains](#known-issues-custom-toolchains)
- [Ninja](#ninja)
- [Get compilation_database.json](#get-compilation_databasejson)
- [Get list of commands required to build a target](#get-list-of-commands-required-to-build-a-target)
- [Objects and Symbols](#objects-and-symbols)
- [Display libraries that are loaded by dyld](#display-libraries-that-are-loaded-by-dyld)
- [Display the shared libraries that object file uses](#display-the-shared-libraries-that-object-file-uses)
- [Display the @rpaths of an object](#display-the-rpaths-of-an-object)
- [Display symbol table of an object file](#display-symbol-table-of-an-object-file)
- [Xcode](#xcode)
- [How can I force Xcode to use a custom compiler?](#how-can-i-force-xcode-to-use-a-custom-compiler)
- [How can I get all the compile commands from Xcode?](#how-can-i-get-all-the-compile-commands-from-xcode)
- [Known issues](#known-issues)
- [Attempt to read debug information from a bitcode file compiled with Apple clang](#attempt-to-read-debug-information-from-a-bitcode-file-compiled-with-apple-clang)
- [Attempt to read a bitcode file with possibly incompatible version of LLVM IR](#attempt-to-read-a-bitcode-file-with-possibly-incompatible-version-of-llvm-ir)

## LLVM

### Reduce time needed for building from source

```
cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -DLLVM_TARGETS_TO_BUILD=host -DLLVM_ENABLE_ASSERTIONS=ON
```

`-DLLVM_TARGETS_TO_BUILD=host` only builds the host target and skips building
the default targets, such as AArch64, AMDGPU, ARM, etc. This reduces a build
time noticeably.

See [How to enable a LLVM backend?](https://stackoverflow.com/a/46912216/598057) for some details.

## Clang

### Generate human-readable LLVM IR from a file.

```bash
clang -S -emit-llvm testee.c -o testee.ll
```

### Generate LLVM Bitcode from a file.

```bash
clang -c -emit-llvm -o testee.bc testee.c
```

### One-line compilation

Useful for quick probes (like testing for missing header paths).

```
echo '#include ' | clang-3.7 -xc -v -
```

## lli

```bash
brew install llvm # installed to /usr/local/opt/llvm, /usr/local/opt/llvm/bin/lli
```

### Execute Objective-C code compiled into LLVM Bitcode using LLVM JIT

```bash
/usr/local/opt/llvm/bin/lli -load=/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Versions/Current/Foundation jitobjc.bc
```

## CMake

### Known issues: custom toolchains

- It seems that CMake doesn't allow setting custom C and CXX compilers
when it builds for Xcode (`cmake ... -G Xcode`). It does allow setting
them for Ninja.

## Ninja

### Get compilation_database.json

```bash
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -G Ninja -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON -DLLVM_TARGETS_TO_BUILD="X86" ../llvm
ninja llvm-tblgen
cd ..
cp build/compile_commands.json ./
```

### Get list of commands required to build a target

```
cd LLVM/BuildNinja
ninja -t commands YourTargetName
```

## Objects and Symbols

### Display libraries that are loaded by dyld

```bash
$ export DYLD_PRINT_LIBRARIES=1
$ rustc --version 2>&1
dyld: loaded: /Users/Stanislaw/.cargo/bin/rustc
dyld: loaded: /usr/lib/libcurl.4.dylib
dyld: loaded: /usr/lib/libz.1.dylib
...
```

### Display the shared libraries that object file uses

```bash
otool -L Distribution/iOS/MusicXML.framework/MusicXML
Distribution/iOS/MusicXML.framework/MusicXML:
@rpath/MusicXML.framework/MusicXML (compatibility version 1.0.0, current version 1.0.0)
/usr/lib/libxml2.2.dylib (compatibility version 10.0.0, current version 10.9.0)
/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Foundation (compatibility version 300.0.0, current version 1349.0.0)
/usr/lib/libobjc.A.dylib (compatibility version 1.0.0, current version 228.0.0)
/usr/lib/libSystem.dylib (compatibility version 1.0.0, current version 1238.0.0)
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreFoundation.framework/CoreFoundation (compatibility version 150.0.0, current version 1348.0.0)
```

### Display the @rpaths of an object

```
otool -l
...
Load command 20
cmd LC_RPATH
cmdsize 40
path /usr/local/opt/llvm@3.9/lib (offset 12)
```

Taken from [Print rpath of executable on OSX](https://stackoverflow.com/a/12522096/598057).

### Display symbol table of an object file

Use `llvm-nm` instead of `nm` as the former can also read the .bc files.

```bash
brew install llvm # installed to /usr/local/opt/llvm, /usr/local/opt/llvm/bin/llvm-nm
```

```bash
$ llvm-nm Distribution/iOS/MusicXML.framework/MusicXML
0000000000000ec4 t +[MXMLConverter ConventionalParts]
0000000000008514 t +[RXMLElement elementFromHTMLData:]
00000000000083cd t +[RXMLElement elementFromHTMLFile:]
000000000000842e t +[RXMLElement elementFromHTMLFile:fileExtension:]
00000000000084b3 t +[RXMLElement elementFromHTMLFilePath:]
000000000000835d t +[RXMLElement elementFromHTMLString:encoding:]
0000000000008207 t +[RXMLElement elementFromURL:]
...
```

to also demangle C++ symbols:

```
$ nm target/debug/example | c++filt -p -i | grep main_static
000000010000faa0 T test::test_main_static::h8310fdcbefe718c6
0000000100086810 short test::test_main_static::_$u7b$$u7b$closure$u7d$$u7d$::_FILE_LINE::h76297330bb651452
```

## Xcode

### How can I force Xcode to use a custom compiler?

[How can I force Xcode to use a custom compiler?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/39327952/how-can-i-force-xcode-to-use-a-custom-compiler)

### How can I get all the compile commands from Xcode?

[How can I get all the compile commands from Xcode?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/43906786/how-can-i-get-all-the-compile-commands-from-xcode/43973745#43973745)

## Known issues

### Attempt to read debug information from a bitcode file compiled with Apple clang

```
warning: ignoring debug info with an invalid version (700000003) in /Users/stanislaw/Projects/LLVM/BuildXcode/projects/mull-project/unittests/Debug/fixtures/fixture_google_test_tester.bc
warning: ignoring debug info with an invalid version (700000003) in /Users/stanislaw/Projects/LLVM/BuildXcode/projects/mull-project/unittests/Debug/fixtures/fixture_google_test_testee.bc
```

Solution: compile files with custom clang e.g. `brew install llvm / /usr/local/opt/llvm/bin/clang`.

### Attempt to read a bitcode file with possibly incompatible version of LLVM IR

```
test: :7237:187: error: invalid field 'variable'
!1526 = distinct !DIGlobalVariable(name: "test_info_", linkageName: "_ZN14Hello_sup_Test10test_info_E", scope: !0, file: !1527, line: 4, type: !1528, isLocal: false, isDefinition: true, variable: %"class.testing::TestInfo"** @_ZN14Hello_sup_Test10test_info_E, declaration: !2817)
```

Best solution: make sure to compile the IR with the same `llvm` that reads it. The safest way is to stick to stable branches of `llvm` like `release_40`.

See also: [IR Backwards Compatibility](http://llvm.org/docs/DeveloperPolicy.html#ir-backwards-compatibility).