XC8++ Implementation Architecture¶

This document describes the technical implementation of the XC8++ transpiler.

Source Implementation¶

The transpiler implementation is located in the src/ directory:

Core Transpiler Files¶

• xc8_transpiler.py - Main transpiler using Clang AST analysis
• Uses XC8's built-in Clang 18.1.8 for semantic analysis
• AST parsing without string manipulation
• Generates XC8-compatible C code

• Semantic transformation approach

• xc8_architecture_demo.py - Demonstrates LibTooling architecture patterns

• Shows correct transpiler design patterns
• Code generation examples
• Ready for C++ LibTooling migration

Future C++ Implementation¶

• CppToCCheck.h/.cpp - Clang-tidy plugin framework
• AST matchers for declarative pattern matching
• Industry-standard plugin architecture

• Extensible transformation system

• XC8Transpiler.cpp - Standalone LibTooling demonstration

• Shows C++ implementation approach
• Ready for full LLVM/Clang development environment
• AST visitor patterns

Transpilation Process¶

1. AST Analysis Phase¶

# Parse C++ with Clang AST
clang_cmd = ["clang", "-Xclang", "-ast-dump", cpp_file]
ast_dump = subprocess.run(clang_cmd, capture_output=True, text=True)

2. Semantic Transformation Phase¶

• Extract class definitions and member functions
• Map C++ types to C equivalents
• Generate C struct definitions
• Create C function signatures

3. Code Generation Phase¶

• Generate XC8-compatible C code
• Preserve semantic equivalence
• Optimize for embedded constraints

Architecture Benefits¶

Semantic Analysis Approach¶

• Reliability: Uses compiler-grade parsing
• Accuracy: Understands C++ at the language level
• Maintainability: Leverages existing tools
• Extensibility: Easy to add new transformations

vs String Manipulation¶

The semantic approach provides significant advantages over regex-based string manipulation: - Handles complex C++ constructs correctly - Preserves type information - Supports incremental feature addition - Generates reliable output