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Installation

The source build provides the clothc compiler and the separate Shuttle project manager. The compiler is written in C++23; Shuttle is written in Rust.

Prerequisites

Install these tools and make them available in your terminal:

  • Git.
  • CMake 3.25 or newer and Ninja.
  • A C++23 compiler.
  • LLVM llc and a C++ linker driver for native Cloth executables.
  • Rust 1.85 or newer with Cargo to build Shuttle.

LLVM opt is optional for backend verification tests.

Build the toolchain

From a checkout of the Cloth compiler repository, initialize its submodules and run:

git submodule update --init --recursive
cmake --preset dev
cmake --build --preset dev
cargo build --manifest-path shuttle/Cargo.toml --locked

The compiler is build/dev/clothc (build/dev/clothc.exe on Windows). Shuttle is shuttle/target/debug/shuttle (shuttle.exe on Windows). Add these directories to your PATH to use the short commands in this guide, or invoke each executable by its path.

For compiler-only development, configure with cmake --preset dev -DCLOTH_TEST_SHUTTLE=OFF. To run the development tests after building, use ctest --preset dev.

Check a program

Save this as Main.co:

static func Main() {
  println("Hello, Cloth!");
}

With clothc on your PATH:

clothc --check Main.co

A successful check prints the compiler’s typed program summary. Diagnostics go to standard error. This command checks source without invoking the native linker.

Build a native executable on Linux or macOS:

clothc --build=hello Main.co
./hello

On Windows PowerShell:

clothc --build=hello.exe Main.co
.\hello.exe

Native executable generation currently targets x86-64. The compiler can also emit LLVM IR for the wasm32 layout; this is not a complete WebAssembly execution workflow. Continue with Hello World to create a Shuttle project.

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