bear
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Description:
Generate compilation database for clang tooling
Type: Formula  |  Latest Version: 3.1.6@15  |  Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Developer tools
Tags: clang compilation-database c++ static-analysis developer-tools
Install: brew install bear
About:
Bear is a tool that generates a compilation database in JSON format for clang tooling. It works by intercepting the build process to capture compiler calls and their arguments. This enables static analysis tools, IDEs, and other utilities to understand the project structure accurately.
Key Features:
  • Intercepts build commands to capture compilation flags
  • Generates standard JSON Compilation Database (compile_commands.json)
  • Compatible with clang-based tools like clangd, clang-tidy, and clang-query
  • Supports various build systems (Make, CMake, Autotools, etc.)
Use Cases:
  • Enabling code intelligence and auto-completion in editors using clangd
  • Running static analysis tools (e.g., clang-tidy) on existing codebases
  • Refactoring C/C++ projects with clang-refactor or clang-apply-replacements
Alternatives:
  • intercept-build (scan-build) – Part of the Clang static analyzer; Bear is often more robust for complex build systems.
  • compiledb – Python-based generator; Bear is generally faster and handles more edge cases.
License: GPL-3.0-or-later
Dependencies: abseil, fmt, grpc, nlohmann-json, protobuf, spdlog
Bottles available for: arm64_tahoe, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, sonoma, arm64_linux, x86_64_linux
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Dec 13, 2025 5:36pm 15 VERSION_BUMP 383c85f2
Nov 15, 2025 1:27am 14 VERSION_BUMP c958dd6a
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Sep 29, 2024 2:43am 1 VERSION_BUMP e551ab7d
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Sep 14, 2024 7:49am 8 VERSION_BUMP c6c99dcc
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Sep 6, 2024 4:01am 7 VERSION_BUMP 73508c7d
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Nov 18, 2023 3:22pm 9 VERSION_BUMP a8e3e391
Nov 18, 2023 3:13pm 9 VERSION_BUMP f33b64c5
Oct 8, 2023 10:17am 7 VERSION_BUMP 81454361
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Aug 28, 2023 1:22pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 9977e0e5
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