---
name: "flx"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "felix"
version: "1.1.1-2+b1"
release: "Debian 4.0 (Etch)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/flx"
---

# flx(1)

## NAME

Felix tools

## SYNOPSIS

**flxl** \[-Iinclude-dir\] filebasename

**flxp** \[-Iinclude-dir\] filebasename

**flxm** \[-Iinclude-dir\] filebasename

**flxd** \[-Iinclude-dir\] filebasename

**flxb** \[-Iinclude-dir\] filebasename

**flxcc** control-filename

**flxg** \[-v\] \[-Iinclude-dir\] filebasename

**flx\_run** libname

**flx\_doc** --outdir=docidr filename ..

**flx** \[--version\] \[--help\] \[--test\] \[--force\] \[--echo\] \[--time\] \[--inline\] \[--static\] \[--optimise\] \[--optimize\] \[-c\] \[ \[--pkg=\<pkg-config pkg\>\] \[\<file\>.cpp\] \[\<file\>.o\] \[\<file\>.a\] \[\<linkops\>\]..\] filebasename

## DESCRIPTION

The **filebasename** specifies the felix program to run. If there is an extension it should be .flx, if not it defauts to .flx.\

**flxl** lexes the input and prints the token list to standard output

**flxp** lexes and parses the input and prints the parse tree to standard output

**flxm** lexes, parses, folds constants and performs macro expansion of the input and prints the AST tree to standard output

**flxd** lexes, parses and desugars the the input and prints the desugared AST tree to standard output

**flxb** lexes, parses, desugars and binds identifiers and prints the bindings to  standard output

**flxcc** reads a preprocessed C header file and writes Felix wrapper bindings to out. The command accepts an argument which specifies wrapper generation configuration parameters.

**flx\_doc** Felix documentation generator. The --outdir=dirname option specifies the directory into which to put documentation. Defaults to out\_doc. Each of the subsequently listed filenames should be a Felix (\*.flx) file, which is treated as a library. The documentation processor produces a set of HTML files documenting the interface. Comments specified with either the publish prefix or comment statement are also emitted into the documentation.

**flxg** lexes, parses, desugars, binds, and generates C++ code. Two files, **filebase.cpp** and **filebase.hpp** are created. Use the **-v** option for verbose output.

**flx** is a load and go test harness which compiles its argument to C++, compiles and links the C++ using gcc, then executes the resulting library using flx\_run.

## flx options

**--test**\
 Forces use of the Felix system in the current directory. Intended for use testing during development.

**--force**\
 Forces both Felix and C++ recompilation and linking. Normally, timestamps are checked, and compilation is skipped if the program is up to date.

**--echo**\
 Indicates what the flx script is doing, prints external commands such as the C++ compilation command line. Use to check your options are being processed correctly by the flx script.

**--debug**\
 Tells the flxg compiler to print extensive details of its compilation process to help debugging.

**--inline**\
 Enables experimental inlining features. May slow down Felix compilation significantly. May cause significant code bloat.

**--optimise --optimize**\
 Enables inlining and passes -O3 to the C++ compiler.

**--static**\
 Force linking of an executable instead of a shared library.

**--version**\
 Prints version and exits.

**--time**\
 Times execution of the target program using the time command. Note -- compilation time is not included.

**--help**\
 Runs 'man flx' and exits.

**-c**\
 Generates but does not execute the program. Warning -- this option is part of the felix options. It must be given before any C++ compiler options, or it will just be passed directly to the C++ compiler, resulting in generation of object files without linking, but the flx script will try to run the linked output anyhow (possibly resulting in an old version being executed).

**--pkg=\<pkg-config pkg\>**\
 Specifies the particular C library is required. This option causes the required flags to be added to compilation and link steps to allow #includes to find the headers, and to link the library to the program. This option uses the pkg-config program to obtain this data. May be specified any number of times.

**\*.cpp \*.cxx \*.o \*.a**\
 Files ending in these extensions are normally recognized by the C/C++ compiler/linker harness are passed to it during C++ compilation and linkage steps. This allows linking Felix to arbitrary C, C++ codes available as source, object files, or in an archive.

**\<link opts\>**\
 Various options normally recognized by the C/C++ compiler/linker harness are passed through to it transparently.

**filebasename**\
 The name of the Felix program to run. May be given with or without the .flx extension. This program is compiled with the flxg driver to produce filebasename.cpp which is then compiled and linked with other specified files. Currently only one Felix file may be given.

## USE

**flxg** is the compiler proper. flx\[lpmdb\] are provided to aid in debugging, and perform successive phases of the compilation process.

**flx** is a script which combines felix compilation, C++ compilation of the output, and execution using the standard program driver, for rapid prototyping in a scripting style.

**flxcc** is the wrapper generator for C headers.

**flx\_doc** is the documentation generator. It can be used to create HTML pages documenting any Felix code files.

## DRIVERS

**flx\_run** is the standard prgram driver. Its argument is a shared library which is passed to dlopen (note you need to use ./lib.so on linux to preempt the stanard search path).

The driver creates a single thread from the libraries main entry point **\_init\_** and runs the thread until it terminates, then exits. The message type here is **void** and the driver exists with an error diagnostic if the thread tries to read any messages.

**flx\_sif** is like **flx\_run** except that it reads standard input and passes lines to the single instance thread. The lines include terminating newline character. A zero length line is passed at end of file. The message types is **std::basic\_string\<char\>**

## FILE EXTENSIONS

**\*.flx**\
 Felix input files.

**\*.cpp \*.hpp**\
 Generated C++ output files.

**\*.par**\
 Precompiled header file.

## VERSION

**1.1.1\_rc1**

## SEE ALSO

**[felix(1)](/felix/1.md)** for a language introduction and man page index\
 **[flx(1)](/flx/1.md)** for a list of the tools.\
 **[flxcc(1)](/flxcc/1.md)** for a description of the wrapper generator tool.\
 **[flx\_lit(1)](/flx_lit/1.md)** for a description of literals\
 **[flx\_op(1)](/flx_op/1.md)** for a list of operators\
 **[flx\_cop(1)](/flx_cop/1.md)** for a list of C operator precedence names\
 **[flx\_key(1)](/flx_key/1.md)** for a list of keywords\
 **[flx\_grammar(1)](/flx_grammar/1.md)** for a grammar summary\
 **[flx\_lib\_typ(1)](/flx_lib_typ/1.md)** for a list of library types\
 **[flx\_dir(1)](/flx_dir/1.md)** for a list of directives\
 **[flx\_exec(1)](/flx_exec/1.md)** for a list of executable statements\
 **[flx\_decl(1)](/flx_decl/1.md)** for a list of declarative statements\
 **[flx\_bind(1)](/flx_bind/1.md)** for a list of binding statements\

## WEB SITE

See **http://felix.sourceforge.net**\

## AUTHOR

John Maxwell Skaller, mailto:skaller@users.sourceforge.net