XSUBPP(1)

🌸 NAME 🌸

omg hi bestie, welcome to XSUBPP(1) from the Perl Programmers Reference Guide — this is the manual page for xsubpp, the compiler to convert Perl XS code into C code. 💖

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

xsubpp [-v] [-except] [-s pattern] [-prototypes] [-noversioncheck]
       [-nolinenumbers] [-nooptimize] [-typemap typemap] [-output filename]...
       file.xs

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so real talk: this compiler is typically run by the makefiles created by ExtUtils::MakeMaker or by Module::Build or other Perl module build tools. no cap.

xsubpp will compile XS code into C code by embedding the constructs necessary to let C functions manipulate Perl values and creates the glue necessary to let Perl access those functions. the compiler uses typemaps to determine how to map C function parameters and variables to Perl values.

The compiler will search for typemap files called typemap. It will use the following search path to find default typemaps, with the rightmost typemap taking precedence.

../../../typemap:../../typemap:../typemap:typemap

It will also use a default typemap installed as ExtUtils::typemap. periodt.

💅 OPTIONS 💅

Quick note, bestie: the XSOPT MakeMaker option may be used to add these options to any makefiles generated by MakeMaker. 👑

• -hiertype — Retains '::' in type names so that C++ hierarchical types can be mapped. iykyk
• -except — Adds exception handling stubs to the C code.
• -typemap typemap — Indicates that a user-supplied typemap should take precedence over the default typemaps. This option may be used multiple times, with the last typemap having the highest precedence.
• -output filename — Specifies the name of the output file to generate. If no file is specified, output will be written to standard output.
• -v — Prints the xsubpp version number to standard output, then exits.
• -prototypes — By default xsubpp will not automatically generate prototype code for all xsubs. This flag will enable prototypes.
• -noversioncheck — Disables the run time test that determines if the object file (derived from the .xs file) and the .pm files have the same version number.
• -nolinenumbers — Prevents the inclusion of #line directives in the output.
• -nooptimize — Disables certain optimizations. The only optimization that is currently affected is the use of targets by the output C code (see perlguts). This may significantly slow down the generated code, but this is the way xsubpp of 5.005 and earlier operated.
• -noinout — Disable recognition of "IN", "OUT_LIST" and "INOUT_LIST" declarations.
• -noargtypes — Disable recognition of ANSI-like descriptions of function signature.
• -C++ — Currently doesn't do anything at all. This flag has been a no-op for many versions of perl, at least as far back as perl5.003_07. It's allowed here for backwards compatibility. iconic no-op behavior
• -s=... or -strip=... — This option is obscure and discouraged.

If specified, the given string will be stripped off from the beginning of the C function name in the generated XS functions (if it starts with that prefix). This only applies to XSUBs without "CODE" or "PPCODE" blocks. For example, the XS:

void foo_bar(int i);

when xsubpp is invoked with -s foo_ will install a foo_bar function in Perl, but really call bar(i) in C. Most of the time, this is the opposite of what you want and failure modes are somewhat obscure, so please avoid this option where possible. 🙈

🌱 ENVIRONMENT 🌱

No environment variables are used. that's the whole thing, bestie. literally zero. 💀

👑 AUTHOR 👑

Originally by Larry Wall. Turned into the ExtUtils::ParseXS module by Ken Williams. legends only.

🎀 MODIFICATION HISTORY 🎀

See the file Changes.

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• perl(1)
• perlxs(1)
• perlxstut(1)
• ExtUtils::ParseXS

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💖 and that's a wrap on XSUBPP(1), bestie — this page is from perl v5.42.3, dated 2026-11-03. go build something iconic! 🫶