# Compile Commands Database GENerator
[](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/ccdgen/)
[](https://pypi.com/project/ccdgen)
[](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/ccdgen/)
[](https://github.com/t-bre/ccdgen/blob/master/LICENSE)
## About
A Python script to generate a [`compile_commands.json` database](https://clang.llvm.org/docs/JSONCompilationDatabase.html)
by capturing the output of `make`. This script was originally created to provide
compilation databases for `make` based [C/C++ projects in Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/cpp/c-cpp-properties-schema-reference).
## Installation
[Latest PyPi release](https://pypi.org/project/ccdgen/)
```sh
pip install ccdgen
```
## Usage
```text
python3 -m ccdgen --extensions <arguments...> -- <your build command>
```
Arguments:
| Option | Default | Description |
|----------------------|-------------------------|--------------------------------------|
| `-h`, `--help` | | Show help message and exit |
| `-c`, `--compiler` | (auto detect) | Specify compiler |
| `-d`, `--dir` | ./ | Working directory to run `make` from |
| `-e`, `--extensions` | | Extension(s) for source files |
| `-o`, `--output` | ./compile_commands.json | Output file |
For example, to run `make all` as the build command for a C project:
```sh
python3 -m ccdgen --extensions .c -- make all
```
Example Visual Studio Code task:
```json
{
"version": "2.0.0",
"tasks": [
{
"label": "ccdgen",
"type": "shell",
"command": "python",
"osx": {
"command": "python3"
},
"args": [
"-m", "ccdgen",
"--extensions", ".c",
"--", "make", "all"
]
}
]
}
```
## Limitations
- The script relies on the Python standard library modules `argparse`, `json`,
`os`, `subprocess` and `sys`.
- This script relies on `make` echoing the compiler commands it runs to
stdout. If compiler commands are prefixed in the Makefile with `@` or
`make` is run in silent mode, the output cannot be captured.
- The build must succeed to generate a full compilation database, though
warnings are not a problem.
- Currently only tested with Python 3.10 on macOS Ventura.
## Other Tools
- [CMake](https://cmake.org) (since version 2.8.5) can be used as is to generate
`compile_commands.json` by adding `-DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON` when
calling it. This only works for Unix Makefile builds.
- [Bear](https://github.com/rizsotto/Bear) is much more advanced tool for
generating compilation databases for `clang` tooling. macOS, Linux and FreeBSD
are currently supported.
