cflow ☆

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Description:
Generate call graphs from C code

Type: Formula | Latest Version: 1.8@0 | Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Developer tools

Tags: cflow call-graph code-analysis c static-analysis developer-tools

Install: brew install cflow

About:
GNU cflow is a command-line tool that analyzes C source files to generate a call graph, visually mapping the relationships between functions. It helps developers understand code structure and complexity by showing which functions call others. The tool supports both reverse and direct call graphs, making it valuable for navigating unfamiliar codebases.

Key Features:

Generates both direct (forward) and reverse call graphs
Supports multiple output formats including POSIX and GNU styles
Can analyze source code without requiring compilation
Handles recursive function calls and cross-file dependencies
Integrates with Emacs for interactive code navigation

Use Cases:

Understanding complex codebases by visualizing function relationships
Identifying the impact of changing a specific function
Code review and refactoring planning
Documentation generation for legacy code

Alternatives:

calltree – Similar functionality but less actively maintained
Doxygen – More comprehensive documentation generator with call graphs as one feature
CodeViz – Graphical visualization tool but requires more setup

License: GPL-3.0-or-later

Bottles available for: arm64_tahoe, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, arm64_linux, x86_64_linux

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 13, 2025 7:15am		0	VERSION_BUMP	d39383e2