Command Line Usage

The Dorpn compiler is a command line program named dorpn. You give it a .dpn source file, and it turns that file into something your computer can run. This page describes how to call the compiler, what each option does, and what files it produces.

By default Dorpn compiles to a native executable. It does this in steps: first it reads and checks your program, then it translates it to C code, and finally it hands that C code to a C compiler together with the Dorpn runtime library. The C compiler is detected automatically: clang first, then gcc, then cc. Set the DORPN_CC environment variable to choose one yourself. The result is a program that runs directly, with no interpreter involved. Dorpn can also translate your program to JavaScript instead, which is described further down.

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Basic Usage

dorpn <file.dpn> [options]

Since v0.4.4, options can also be placed before the file name. They can be combined in any order.

dorpn hello.dpn                # compile only
dorpn hello.dpn --run          # compile and run immediately
dorpn hello.dpn -r -t          # compile, run, and show compile time

When you compile without --run, Dorpn prints where the executable was written and how to start it:

✓ Generated C code: hello.c
✓ Compiled: hello
Run with: ./hello
Or: dorpn hello.dpn --run

Calling dorpn with no arguments prints the help text.

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Options

Short	Long	Description
-r	--run	Compile and run immediately
-k	--keep-c	Keep the generated C file
-V	--verbose	Show detailed compilation steps
-v	--version	Show version information
-h	--help	Show the help message
-t	--time	Show how long compilation took
	--out <path>	Choose the output file
-js	--Javs	Compile to JavaScript instead of C

If you pass an option that Dorpn does not know, it prints Unknown option together with a hint to use --help, and exits with code 1.

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Running a Program

The --run option compiles the program and starts it straight away. A separator line is printed first so you can tell compiler messages apart from your program's own output.

$ dorpn hello.dpn --run
────────────────────────────────────────
Hello, Dorpn!

If your program ends with a non-zero exit code, for example through error_out(2) or panic(), Dorpn reports it after the program finishes:

Program exited with code 2

The dorpn process itself exits with the code your program returned, so --run can be used directly in scripts and pipelines.

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Keeping the C File

Normally the generated C file is deleted once the executable has been built. Pass --keep-c if you want to keep it, which is useful for inspecting exactly what Dorpn generated for your code.

dorpn hello.dpn -k

The C file is written next to your source file, with the same name and a .c extension. The --verbose option also keeps the C file. An existing .c file that you wrote yourself is never overwritten.

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Choosing the Output Path

By default the executable is created next to the source file, with the same name and no extension. hello.dpn produces hello. Use --out to pick a different path:

dorpn hello.dpn --out build/hello

--out applies to the native executable. It does not change where JavaScript output is written.

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Compiling to JavaScript

With -js, Dorpn translates your program to JavaScript instead of C. The .js file is written next to the source file, and no C compiler is needed.

dorpn hello.dpn -js            # writes hello.js
dorpn hello.dpn -js -r         # writes hello.js and runs it with node

Without --run, Dorpn tells you the command to start the program:

✓ Generated Js code: hello.js
Run with: node hello.js

Running the result requires Node.js to be installed. Some built-in features rely on a small runtime file, dorpn_runtime.js, and the generated file loads it from the path it was given at compile time.

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Verbose Output

--verbose prints every stage of compilation: lexing, parsing, semantic analysis, C generation and the exact command used to call clang. It also shows the first tokens found in your file. This is mainly useful when you are debugging the compiler itself or a build that behaves unexpectedly.

dorpn hello.dpn -V

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Timing

--time adds a final line that reports how long the whole compilation took:

⏱ Compilation finished in 0.179 seconds.

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Version and Help

dorpn --version                # Dorpn Compiler v0.4.4
dorpn --help                   # list of all options

--version and --help can be used without a source file.

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Updating

Dorpn does not have a built-in updater. To update, download the latest installer from the GitHub Releases page and run it. It replaces the version you have installed. You can check which version you are currently running with dorpn --version.

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Requirements

Target	What must be available
Native (default)	A C compiler (clang, gcc or cc, auto-detected in that order; override with DORPN_CC), and the Dorpn runtime files
JavaScript (-js)	Node.js, only if you use --run

Dorpn looks for the runtime files in this order and uses the first place where it finds both:

1. The folder named by the DORPN_RUNTIME_DIR environment variable
2. A runtime_lib folder in the current directory
3. A src folder in the current directory
4. The current directory itself
5. The folder where the dorpn binary itself is located

If none of them contains the runtime, the compiler stops with Error: Dorpn runtime files not found!.

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Exit Codes

The compiler itself exits with code 0 on success and 1 on any failure, including a missing file, an unknown option, a syntax or semantic error, or a failed C build.

$ dorpn missing.dpn
Error: File 'missing.dpn' not found

Errors in your own program are explained on the Errors page.