global ☆
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Description:
Source code tag system
Type: Formula  |  Latest Version: 6.6.14@0  |  Tracked Since: Oct 18, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Developer tools
Tags: code-navigation tagging developer-tools source-analysis c-tags
Install: brew install global
About:
GNU Global is a source code tagging system that creates a database of symbols and references for C, C++, Java, and other languages. It allows developers to quickly navigate large codebases by jumping to definitions and references from within editors like Vim and Emacs. Unlike simpler grep-based tools, it provides fast, indexed searches that scale efficiently with project size.
Key Features:
  • Supports multiple programming languages including C, C++, Java, PHP, and more
  • Editor integration with Vim, Emacs, and other popular editors
  • Generates hypertext link facilities for code navigation
  • Works with both local and remote source trees
  • Supports incremental database updates
Use Cases:
  • Navigating large legacy codebases efficiently
  • Code review and understanding complex dependencies
  • Refactoring with accurate symbol resolution
  • Building custom code analysis tools
Alternatives:
  • cscope – cscope is older and C-focused, while Global supports more languages and has better editor integration
  • ctags – ctags generates tag files but lacks Global's sophisticated reference tracking and hypertext features
  • GNU id-utils – id-utils is faster but less feature-rich, focusing on simple identifier lookup
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Oct 18, 2025 4:06pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 3e388a7a
Sep 11, 2025 5:36pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 2775371f
Dec 11, 2024 8:00am 0 VERSION_BUMP eb2ccfde
Oct 13, 2024 5:09pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 66028cad
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