Clang On Windows ((new)) -

1. Understanding Clang on Windows Clang is a front-end for the LLVM compiler. On Windows, it can target three different environments:

GNU/MinGW-w64 – Uses Windows headers/libraries from MinGW. Produces binaries that depend on libgcc / libstdc++ . MSVC (Microsoft Visual C++) – Uses Windows SDK and UCRT (Universal C Runtime) from Visual Studio. Produces native Windows binaries that depend on Microsoft runtimes. Clang-cl – A drop-in replacement for cl.exe (Microsoft’s compiler). Accepts most MSVC command-line options.

Recommendation for most Windows developers: Use Clang with MSVC toolchain ( clang-cl or clang --target=x86_64-pc-windows-msvc ) for best compatibility with Windows system headers and existing MSVC projects.

2. Installation Methods A. Via Visual Studio (Easiest) clang on windows

Run Visual Studio Installer . Select Modify next to your VS version (2022/2019). Under Desktop development with C++ , check:

MSVC v143 - VS 2022 C++ x64/x86 build tools C++ Clang Compiler for Windows C++ CMake tools for Windows (optional)

Install. Then use Developer Command Prompt for VS or x64 Native Tools Command Prompt . Produces binaries that depend on libgcc / libstdc++

B. Standalone LLVM (without Visual Studio)

Download from LLVM releases on GitHub (e.g., LLVM-18.1.8-win64.exe ). During install, check Add LLVM to system PATH . You will still need Windows SDK or MinGW headers to compile anything substantial:

For MSVC target – install Build Tools for Visual Studio (only SDK & CRT, no IDE). For MinGW target – install MSYS2 or MinGW-w64 . Clang-cl – A drop-in replacement for cl

C. Via MSYS2 (MinGW flavor) pacman -S mingw-w64-clang-x86_64-clang

This gives Clang with MinGW headers/libraries.