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Getting Started with Eter

This guide covers two paths:

Contributing to the Compiler

This section gives you the fastest path from a fresh checkout to a working build. For the full contributor workflow — coding style, formatting, hooks, patch submission — see CONTRIBUTING.md.

Prerequisites

  • CMake 3.20+, Ninja, a C++17-capable compiler
  • LLVM/MLIR 22.x and lit

Platform-specific installation instructions are in CONTRIBUTING.md § Requirements.

Clone

git clone https://github.com/eter-lang/eter
cd eter

Build and Test

The x script at the root handles LLVM path discovery and wraps all common CMake commands:

./x config      # configure (Debug by default)
./x build       # compile
./x check-all   # run unit tests + lit tests

That's the full cycle. If everything passes you are ready to work.

Non-default LLVM path? Pass LLVM_PREFIX_PATH before the command:

LLVM_PREFIX_PATH=/usr/lib/llvm-22 ./x config

Run ./x help for all available commands.

IDE Setup

Generate a .clangd file so your editor finds the right compilation database:

./x create-clangd

Git Hooks (optional but recommended)

Enable pre-commit formatting/linting and pre-push build+test checks:

git config core.hooksPath .githooks
chmod +x .githooks/pre-commit .githooks/pre-push

What's Next

See CONTRIBUTING.md for:

  • manual CMake invocations and advanced build flags
  • sanitizers and debug output
  • clang-format and clang-tidy usage
  • how to write and run tests
  • coding style and patch submission guidelines

Using the Language

Eter is in early development. The language design and implementation are subject to significant changes. The compiler is not yet feature-complete.

Language Reference

The primary source of truth for Eter syntax and semantics is the Eter Reference.

The API Reference provides the Doxygen-generated documentation for the compiler's C++ internals, intended for contributors and advanced users.

Running the Driver

After building, the eterc driver is available at:

./build/tools/eter/eterc --version

To enable debug output for a specific subsystem:

./build/tools/eter/eterc --debug-only=driver program.eter

Debug output is only available in Debug and RelWithDebInfo builds (the default when using ./x config).