--- title: EDG C/C++ Compiler Project | daily.dev description: The EDG C/C++ front end, now open source, is a compiler known for parsing compatibility with Clang, GCC, and MSVC, extensive documentation, and high... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/edg-c-c-compiler-project-p1stgegbc twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: EDG C/C++ Compiler Project | daily.dev og:description: The EDG C/C++ front end, now open source, is a compiler known for parsing compatibility with Clang, GCC, and MSVC, extensive documentation, and high... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/edg-c-c-compiler-project-p1stgegbc og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/p1stGEgBc.png og:image:alt: EDG C/C++ Compiler Project og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # EDG C/C++ Compiler Project **[Lobsters](https://daily.dev/sources/lobsters)** · 2 min read · 1 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary The EDG C/C++ front end, now open source, is a compiler known for parsing compatibility with Clang, GCC, and MSVC, extensive documentation, and high configurability for integration into other products. The repository includes C and C++ generating back ends for source-to-source transformation, a prelinker for template instantiation, a minimal runtime library, intermediate language utilities, a name demangler, and development tools. Build and contribution guides are provided, along with a documentation annex covering tips and tutorials aimed at both human and AI agent developers. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### What is the EDG C/C++ compiler front end used for? The EDG C/C++ front end is designed for excellent parsing compatibility and bug emulation so that source code compiling with Clang, GCC, and MSVC also compiles with EDG. It is extensively documented and highly configurable, making it suitable for embedding into a wide range of C/C++ oriented products and toolchains. _Developers evaluating compiler front ends for custom toolchains can follow EDG compiler updates on daily.dev._ ### What components are included in the EDG compiler project besides the front end? The project includes a C-generating back end for producing C code from C++ programs, a C++-generating back end for source-to-source transformation, a prelinker handling automatic template instantiation, a minimal runtime support library without full standard libraries, intermediate language file utilities, a name demangler, and various development tools. _Teams building or extending compiler toolchains can track projects like this through daily.dev._ ## Community take How the wider developer community reacted, aggregated from 2 discussions and 16 comments across lobsters, hackernews (as of 2026-10-01). **TL;DR:** The discussion is largely nostalgic and appreciative, recalling EDG's historical reputation for C++ compatibility and digging into the codebase's age and C/C++ style mix, with some interest in future uses like compiler bootstrapping. **Sentiment:** 65% positive · 30% mixed · 5% skeptical **The case for** - Praised for its historical reputation as one of the most compatible C++ front ends back when other compilers' compatibility was poor. - Seen as a potentially useful new path for bootstrapping C++ from C without relying on very old compilers. - Interesting as a rare long-lived, still largely C-style codebase dating back to 1990. **The pushback** - Some doubt it could be used as-is for C-from-C++ bootstrapping since it does use C++ in places. **By community** - lobsters (positive): Commenters reminisce about EDG's historical compatibility reputation and dig into the codebase's age and mixed C/C++ style with genuine enthusiasm. - hackernews (mixed): Only a note flagging the post as a duplicate of an earlier submission, with no substantive discussion. **Open questions** - Whether Sean Baxter's Circle compiler might ever be open-sourced or continue development. - Whether the EDG codebase could realistically be adapted for bootstrapping C++ from C. **Highlights** > This is really cool to see. Back when C++ compatibility in compilers was generally terrible in the late 1990s and early 2000s, you'd always hear stories about the compatibility level of EDG's frontend. I didn't get to use an EDG-based compiler until working with the Green Hills toolchains for some of Nintendo's consoles. > At least as far as my knowledge extends this is one of the four still extant C++ front ends (Clang, GCC, and MSVC being the others). One thing that surprised me when I asked him about it years ago is that Sean Baxter's Circle is an independent C++ front-end implementation, in addition to the Circle-specific features. I'd previously assumed that he'd started with the Clang front-end. > — [pervognsen on lobsters · 7 points, 1 comments](https://lobste.rs/s/nwdxko/edg_c_c_compiler_project#c_pmgjnt) > Looking at the source code just now in github, this appears to be one of the only remaining "modern" C++ compilers written in C. Clang, GCC, are now written in C++. No idea about MSVC. > — [drs on lobsters · 4 points, 1 comments](https://lobste.rs/s/nwdxko/edg_c_c_compiler_project#c_npcbx2) > I think there's a mix of C++ and either C or C-style C++? There's definitely C++-only features used in places (e.g., a reference in a function signature [here](https://github.com/edgcpp/compiler/blob/main/src/ifc_map_functions_dbg.c#L77), a template [here](https://github.com/edgcpp/compiler/blob/89e67e07c7f6d0fc38622f9778d8e79f40deaa0f/src/modules.c#L2067)), but those seem to be relatively rare in the brief search I did. I'd guess the mix of styles is in no small part due to the age of the codebase. The [first commit](https://github.com/edgcpp/compiler/commit/5884965eb4a4f222a4f32d38b1ce0f76ceae3d4c) is from 1990! > — [aw1621107 on lobsters · 3 points, 1 comments](https://lobste.rs/s/nwdxko/edg_c_c_compiler_project#c_36o45v) > I've been excited for this for a while. Mostly because the current `live-bootstrap` project uses an older version of GCC from back when it was written in C to go from C to C++. This adds an actual option for going from C to C++ that doesn't rely on very old compilers that only really support x86. I'm looking forwards to seeing new compilers based on this. > — [notgull on lobsters · 3 points, 1 comments](https://lobste.rs/s/nwdxko/edg_c_c_compiler_project#c_s8agdj) > You might be interested in [this comment from a former EDG dev](https://old.reddit.com/r/cpp/comments/1wudtq0/edg_c_fronted_now_released_as_open_source/pd4nz6i/): > For the first 30 years or so, it was C89 code. Then we switched to C++11, but to minimize disruption to customers, we kept the file extensions unchanged. C++ was only introduced in new code, and even for new code we often stuck to existing C-based idioms. The modules code started after the switch to C++, and so has more of a C++ flavor. > — [aw1621107 on lobsters · 1 points](https://lobste.rs/s/nwdxko/edg_c_c_compiler_project#c_fyji1s) **Source threads** - [lobsters](https://lobste.rs/s/nwdxko/edg_c_c_compiler_project) · 32 points · 14 comments - [hackernews](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49915484) · 26 points · 2 comments ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [The EDG C\+\+ Compiler Frontend Has Been Open Sourced](https://daily.dev/posts/the-edg-c-compiler-frontend-has-been-open-sourced-xqmi431cc) · Hackaday · 2 upvotes · 0 comments - [GCC & The GNU Toolchain's Exciting 2025 With New Languages, More Optimizations](https://daily.dev/posts/gcc-the-gnu-toolchain-s-exciting-2025-with-new-languages-more-optimizations-nqa2he7af) · Phoronix · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [EYG news: A year of EYG development and proper open source](https://daily.dev/posts/eyg-news-a-year-of-eyg-development-and-proper-open-source-lqcnxqaej) · Lobsters · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [The Double Engine: Why Every Modern C\+\+ Compiler Is Secretly Two Compilers](https://daily.dev/posts/the-double-engine-why-every-modern-c-compiler-is-secretly-two-compilers-f687ffzr4) · Medium · 5 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#open-source](https://daily.dev/tags/open-source), [#c](https://daily.dev/tags/c), [#c++](https://daily.dev/tags/c++) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/edg-c-c-compiler-project-p1stgegbc) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"EDG C/C++ Compiler Project","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/edg-c-c-compiler-project-p1stgegbc","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/edg-c-c-compiler-project-p1stgegbc"},"datePublished":"2026-10-01T09:47:49.097Z","dateModified":"2026-10-01T22:48:26.342Z","description":"The EDG C/C++ front end, now open source, is a compiler known for parsing compatibility with Clang, GCC, and MSVC, extensive documentation, and high...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--VDukGCjf--/f_auto/v1722860399/public/Placeholder%2002","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--VDukGCjf--/f_auto/v1722860399/public/Placeholder%2002","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"Lobsters","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Lobsters","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--tl8v_Fku--/f_auto,t_logo/v1698841318/logos/lobste.jpg","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/lobsters"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/edg-c-c-compiler-project-p1stgegbc","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":1},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"open-source,c,c++","timeRequired":"PT2M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Lobsters","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/lobsters"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"EDG C/C++ Compiler Project"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/edg-c-c-compiler-project-p1stgegbc#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What is the EDG C/C++ compiler front end used for?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The EDG C/C++ front end is designed for excellent parsing compatibility and bug emulation so that source code compiling with Clang, GCC, and MSVC also compiles with EDG. It is extensively documented and highly configurable, making it suitable for embedding into a wide range of C/C++ oriented products and toolchains. Developers evaluating compiler front ends for custom toolchains can follow EDG compiler updates on daily.dev."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What components are included in the EDG compiler project besides the front end?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The project includes a C-generating back end for producing C code from C++ programs, a C++-generating back end for source-to-source transformation, a prelinker handling automatic template instantiation, a minimal runtime support library without full standard libraries, intermediate language file utilities, a name demangler, and various development tools. Teams building or extending compiler toolchains can track projects like this through daily.dev."}}]} ```