Hybrid Transpiler - C++ to Modern Languages Bridge

High Precision × High Performance × Safety-First

The Hybrid Transpiler project is a powerful source-to-source compiler that efficiently converts C++ code into modern, safer programming languages such as Rust and Go. It combines high accuracy with performance while ensuring memory safety through advanced code transformation techniques.

Features

High-Precision Conversion

• Clang LibTooling Based: This transpiler utilizes LLVM/Clang's comprehensive C++ parser.
• Accurate Type System Mapping: Effectively translates complex C++ types to the type systems of Rust and Go.
• Semantic Preservation: Ensures that the original behavior of the program is maintained during the conversion process.

Enhanced Memory Safety

• RAII to Ownership Model: Translates C++ RAII patterns into Rust's ownership system for improved safety.
• Smart Pointer Transformation: Converts unique_ptr and shared_ptr to their respective formats in Rust and Go.
• Garbage Collection Support: Adapts C++ memory management techniques to garbage collection for Go implementations.

Supported Features

• Transforms Classes into Structs with Traits or Interfaces.
• Converts Templates into Generics.
• Maps Exception Handling to Result/Option types in Rust or error values in Go.
• Transforms STL Containers into their standard library equivalents in the target languages.

Architecture

The transpiler operates through a multi-step architecture:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         C++ Source Code                 │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────────┘
               │
               ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Parser (Clang LibTooling)              │
│  - Lexer/Preprocessor                   │
│  - AST Construction                     │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────────┘
               │
               ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Intermediate Representation (IR)       │
│  - Type System                          │
│  - Control Flow Graph                   │
│  - Ownership Analysis                   │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────────┘
               │
        ┌──────┴──────┐
        ▼             ▼
┌──────────────┐ ┌────────────┐
│ Rust Codegen │ │ Go Codegen │
└──────┬───────┘ └─────┬──────┘
       │               │
       ▼               ▼
  Rust Code       Go Code

Examples

C++ to Rust

Input (C++):

class Point {
private:
    int x, y;
public:
    Point(int x, int y) : x(x), y(y) {}

    int distance() const {
        return x * x + y * y;
    }
};

Output (Rust):

pub struct Point {
    x: i32,
    y: i32,
}

impl Point {
    pub fn new(x: i32, y: i32) -> Self {
        Self { x, y }
    }
    pub fn distance(&self) -> i32 {
        self.x * self.x + self.y * self.y
    }
}

C++ to Go

Output (Go):

type Point struct {
    x int32
    y int32
}

func NewPoint(x, y int32) Point {
    return Point{x: x, y: y}
}

func (p *Point) Distance() int32 {
    return p.x * p.x + p.y * p.y
}

Project Structure

hybrid-transpiler/
├── src/                    # Source files
├── include/                # Public headers
├── tests/                  # Test cases
├── examples/               # Example transformations
├── docs/                   # Documentation
├── CMakeLists.txt          # Build instructions
└── README.md               # Project overview

Design Principles

1. Safety First: The transpiler warns and prevents potential undefined behavior and memory leaks through rigorous static analysis.
2. Idiomatic Code Generation: Generated code adheres to the idiomatic practices of Rust and Go, following recommended styles to enhance readability and maintainability.
3. Performance: The transpiler optimizes transformations to minimize unnecessary copies and preserve inlining hints where applicable.

Limitations

• Unsupported Features: Full macro expansion, complex template metaprogramming, and goto statements are currently not supported.
• Conversion Caveats: Certain characteristics such as multiple inheritance and operator overloading are handled with limitations in mind.

FFI Generation

The transpiler also supports Foreign Function Interface (FFI) generation, enabling Rust and Go to call C++ libraries directly. This facilitates gradual migration from C++ while maintaining access to existing functionality without complete code rewrites.

The Hybrid Transpiler stands out by bridging the gap between C++ and modern programming languages, ensuring that safety, performance, and modern programming paradigms are seamlessly aligned within the transformation process.