[Lldb-commits] [lldb] [lldb][docs] Resurrect the information on adding a new language (PR #109427)
Michael Buch via lldb-commits
lldb-commits at lists.llvm.org
Mon Sep 23 04:34:04 PDT 2024
================
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+# Adding Programming Language Support
+
+LLDB has been architected to make it straightforward to add support for a
+programming language. Only a small enum in core LLDB needs to be modified to
+make LLDB aware of a new programming language. Everything else can be supplied
+in derived classes that need not even be present in the core LLDB repository.
+This makes it convenient for developers adding language support in downstream
+repositories since it practically eliminates the potential for merge conflicts.
+
+The basic steps are:
+* Add the language to the `LanguageType` enum.
+* Add a `TypeSystem` for the language.
+* Add expression evaluation support.
+
+Additionally, you may want to create a `Language` and `LanguageRuntime` plugin
+for your language, which enables support for advanced features like dynamic
+typing and data formatting.
+
+## Add the Language to the LanguageType enum
+
+The `LanguageType` enum
+(see [lldb-enumerations.h](https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/blob/main/lldb/include/lldb/lldb-enumerations.h))
+contains a list of every language known to LLDB. It is the one place where
+support for a language must live that will need to merge cleanly with upstream
+LLDB if you are developing your language support in a separate branch. When
+adding support for a language previously unknown to LLDB, start by adding an
+enumeration entry to `LanguageType`.
+
+## Add a TypeSystem for the Language
+
+Both [Module](https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/blob/main/lldb/include/lldb/Core/Module.h)
+and [Target](https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/blob/main/lldb/include/lldb/Target/Target.h)
+support the retrieval of a `TypeSystem` instance via `GetTypeSystemForLanguage()`.
+For `Module`, this method is directly on the `Module` instance. For `Target`,
+this is retrieved indirectly via the `TypeSystemMap` for the `Target` instance.
+
+The `TypeSystem` instance returned by the `Target` is expected to be capable of
+evaluating expressions, while the `TypeSystem` instance returned by the `Module`
+is not. If want to support expression evaluation for your language, you could
----------------
Michael137 wrote:
```suggestion
is not. If you want to support expression evaluation for your language, you could
```
https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/pull/109427
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