Clang : What does AST (abstract syntax tree) look like?

Question

Hi I am new in Compiler development, and am wondering how AST look like. I have a small section of code, and I use Clang for generating the AST. I don\'t get much information ou

Answer 1

The AST is a linked structure in memory ("tree" does not make justice to the complexity of the thing, but it's the name people use). What -ast-print produces is a textual representation of the AST. Since the human who set the option is already familiar with C/C++-like syntax, it is printed in a representation that follows that syntax. This is a design choice, not a happy coincidence.

If you want to see what the AST looks like when it's not printed on purpose in a familiar syntax, you could for instance look at GIMPLE, GCC's internal representation.