What is Objective-C written in?
Objective-C is a general-purpose, high-level, object-oriented programming language, first released in 1984.
Implementation
| Layer | Written in | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Compiler | C++ (since 2007) | Clang (written in C++) is the primary Objective-C compiler |
Compiler implementation
The Objective-C compiler, written in C++, translates Objective-C source code into an executable or intermediate format. The choice of implementation language affects the compiler's portability, build-time dependencies, and the path toward Objective-C eventually becoming self-hosting.
Many language compilers are written in C or C++ for maximum portability and performance. When a compiler is written in a higher-level language, it can leverage that language's abstractions for clearer compiler code, at the cost of a longer bootstrap dependency chain.
Explore in the Graph
See Objective-C's full lineage, including all implementation and influence relationships, in the interactive graph.
Open Interactive Graph →Or view the Objective-C language page for the complete record.