7.2 Custom code modification tool

We will create a Clang tool that will help us to rename methods for a class that is used for unit testing. We will start with a description for the clang::Rewriter class – the basic class that is used for code modifications.

7.2.1 Code modification support at Clang

clang::Rewriter is a Clang library class that facilitates source code rewriting operations within a translation unit. It provides methods for inserting, removing, and replacing code within theAbstract Syntax Tree (AST) of the source code. Developers can use clang::Rewriter for complex code modifications, such as restructuring or generating new code constructs. It can be applied for both code generation and code refactoring tasks, making it versatile for various code transformation purposes.

The class has several methods for text insertion; for instance, clang::Rewriter ::InsertText inserts the text at the specified source location, and clang ::SourceLocation is used to specify the...