compiledb

Generate compilation database from make

$ compiledb make

$ compiledb -n make

$ compiledb --parse [build.log]

$ compiledb -o [compile_commands.json] make

$ compiledb --exclude [/path/to/exclude] make

compiledb [options] command [args]

compiledb generates a compilation database (compile_commands.json) from build commands. This database is used by tools like clangd, clang-tidy, and IDEs for code intelligence and static analysis.
The tool intercepts or parses make command output, extracting compiler invocations with their flags and source files. It supports both running builds and parsing existing build logs.

-n, --no-build

Parse make output without actually building.

Parse existing build log file.

Output file (default: compile_commands.json).

Exclude paths from database.

Use full paths for source files.

Use command string instead of arguments array.

Exit with error on parse failures.

Only captures commands from make output. May miss compiler calls not going through make. Complex build systems may need additional configuration. Does not work with all build systems.

compiledb was created to bridge the gap between make-based builds and modern C/C++ tooling that requires compilation databases. It emerged as the clangd and clang-tidy ecosystem grew in popularity in the late 2010s, providing a simpler alternative to cmake or bear for generating compile_commands.json.

make(1), bear(1), cmake(1), clangd(1)