C and C++

Last verified end to end: 2026-10-05 (query_code schema version 1).

For exact inbound and outbound symbol edges, proof tiers, and adapter-specific caveats, see Reference Traversal.

C and C++ files share the cpp analyzer, structural adapter, and language-filter label. Use languages: ["cpp"] for source files ending in .c, .cc, .cpp, or .cxx and headers ending in .h, .hh, .hpp, .hxx, or .hin. Use where when you need a narrower boundary, for example **/*.c for C files only. Bifrost also analyzes files such as .inc or .inl when a C or C++ file includes them with a quoted #include; see language support.

Fixtures

#include <stdio.h>

void audit(const char *value) {}

int main(void) {
    int retries = 3;
    audit("c");
    return retries;
}

#include <vector>

class Service {
public:
    Service();
    void run(int value) {}
};

Service::Service() {}

void audit(const char *value) {}

int main() {
    auto retries = 5;
    Service service;
    service.run(retries);
    audit("cpp");
    return 0;
}

int statement_word_decoys() {
    int switch_value = 0;
    int case_value = switch_value;
    int label_value = case_value;
    int goto_value = label_value;
    int break_value = goto_value;
    int continue_value = break_value;
    return continue_value;
}

int route(int selector) {
    goto forward_target;

    if (selector < 0) {
        return 0;
    }

forward_target:
    for (int index = 0; index < 2; ++index) {
        switch (index) {
        case 0:
            if (selector == index) {
                continue;
            }
            break;
        default:
            goto done;
        }
    }

    switch (selector) {
    case 1:
        break;
    default:
        selector = 2;
    }

done:
    return selector;
}

One Query Across C And C++

(where "c-family/**/*" (language cpp (call :callee "audit" :args [(capture "value")])))

{
  "where": ["c-family/**/*"],
  "languages": ["cpp"],
  "match": {
    "kind": "call",
    "callee": {"name": "audit"},
    "args": [{"capture": "value"}]
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"c-family/main.c","language":"cpp","kind":"call","start_line":7,"end_line":7,"text":"audit(\"c\")","captures":[{"name":"value","text":"\"c\"","start_line":7}],"enclosing_symbol":"main"},
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"c-family/service.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"call","start_line":17,"end_line":17,"text":"audit(\"cpp\")","captures":[{"name":"value","text":"\"cpp\"","start_line":17}],"enclosing_symbol":"main"}
  ],
  "truncated": false
}

Query Initializer Assignments

The same assignment query matches C’s explicit type and C++‘s auto. left and right target normalized facts instead of parsing declaration text.

(language cpp
  (assignment
    :left (identifier :name "retries")
    :right (numeric_literal :capture "count")))

{
  "languages": ["cpp"],
  "match": {
    "kind": "assignment",
    "left": {"kind": "identifier", "name": "retries"},
    "right": {"kind": "numeric_literal", "capture": "count"}
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"c-family/main.c","language":"cpp","kind":"assignment","start_line":6,"end_line":6,"text":"retries = 3","captures":[{"name":"count","text":"3","start_line":6}],"enclosing_symbol":"main"},
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"c-family/service.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"assignment","start_line":14,"end_line":14,"text":"retries = 5","captures":[{"name":"count","text":"5","start_line":14}],"enclosing_symbol":"main"}
  ],
  "truncated": false
}

Isolate C++ Member Syntax

The path glob excludes the C fixture. Receiver, callee, and argument roles identify the member call without relying on . punctuation.

(where "c-family/**/*.cpp"
  (language cpp
    (call :callee "run" :receiver "service" :args [(capture "retries")])))

{
  "where": ["c-family/**/*.cpp"],
  "languages": ["cpp"],
  "match": {
    "kind": "call",
    "callee": {"name": "run"},
    "receiver": {"name": "service"},
    "args": [{"capture": "retries"}]
  }
}

{
  "results": [
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"c-family/service.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"call","start_line":16,"end_line":16,"text":"service.run(retries)","captures":[{"name":"retries","text":"retries","start_line":16}],"enclosing_symbol":"main"}
  ],
  "truncated": false
}

Out-Of-Line Constructor And Include

(language cpp (constructor :name "Service"))

{"languages":["cpp"],"match":{"kind":"constructor","name":"Service"}}

{
  "results": [
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"c-family/service.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"constructor","start_line":9,"end_line":9,"text":"Service::Service() {}","enclosing_symbol":"Service.Service"}
  ],
  "truncated": false
}

(language cpp (import :module "vector"))

{"languages":["cpp"],"match":{"kind":"import","module":{"name":"vector"}}}

{
  "results": [
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"c-family/service.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"import","start_line":1,"end_line":2,"text":"#include <vector>…"}
  ],
  "truncated": false
}

Query C++ Control-Flow Constructs

Statement kinds match parsed C++ constructs rather than words in identifiers or comments. The fixture includes ordinary variables named after the constructs as decoys, while the queries below select the two switches, four case/default arms, two labels, two gotos, two breaks, and one continue.

(where "cpp/**/*.cpp" (language cpp (switch)))

{"where":["cpp/**/*.cpp"],"languages":["cpp"],"match":{"kind":"switch"}}

{
  "results": [
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"cpp/control-flow.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"switch","start_line":20,"end_line":28,"text":"switch (index) {…","enclosing_symbol":"route"},
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"cpp/control-flow.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"switch","start_line":31,"end_line":36,"text":"switch (selector) {…","enclosing_symbol":"route"}
  ],
  "truncated": false
}

(where "cpp/**/*.cpp" (language cpp (case)))

{"where":["cpp/**/*.cpp"],"languages":["cpp"],"match":{"kind":"case"}}

{
  "results": [
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"cpp/control-flow.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"case","start_line":21,"end_line":25,"text":"case 0:…","enclosing_symbol":"route"},
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"cpp/control-flow.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"case","start_line":26,"end_line":27,"text":"default:…","enclosing_symbol":"route"},
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"cpp/control-flow.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"case","start_line":32,"end_line":33,"text":"case 1:…","enclosing_symbol":"route"},
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"cpp/control-flow.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"case","start_line":34,"end_line":35,"text":"default:…","enclosing_symbol":"route"}
  ],
  "truncated": false
}

(where "cpp/**/*.cpp" (language cpp (label)))

{"where":["cpp/**/*.cpp"],"languages":["cpp"],"match":{"kind":"label"}}

{
  "results": [
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"cpp/control-flow.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"label","start_line":18,"end_line":29,"text":"forward_target:…","enclosing_symbol":"route"},
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"cpp/control-flow.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"label","start_line":38,"end_line":39,"text":"done:…","enclosing_symbol":"route"}
  ],
  "truncated": false
}

(where "cpp/**/*.cpp" (language cpp (goto)))

{"where":["cpp/**/*.cpp"],"languages":["cpp"],"match":{"kind":"goto"}}

{
  "results": [
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"cpp/control-flow.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"goto","start_line":12,"end_line":12,"text":"goto forward_target;","enclosing_symbol":"route"},
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"cpp/control-flow.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"goto","start_line":27,"end_line":27,"text":"goto done;","enclosing_symbol":"route"}
  ],
  "truncated": false
}

(where "cpp/**/*.cpp" (language cpp (break)))

{"where":["cpp/**/*.cpp"],"languages":["cpp"],"match":{"kind":"break"}}

{
  "results": [
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"cpp/control-flow.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"break","start_line":25,"end_line":25,"text":"break;","enclosing_symbol":"route"},
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"cpp/control-flow.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"break","start_line":33,"end_line":33,"text":"break;","enclosing_symbol":"route"}
  ],
  "truncated": false
}

(where "cpp/**/*.cpp" (language cpp (continue)))

{"where":["cpp/**/*.cpp"],"languages":["cpp"],"match":{"kind":"continue"}}

{
  "results": [
    {"result_type":"structural_match","path":"cpp/control-flow.cpp","language":"cpp","kind":"continue","start_line":23,"end_line":23,"text":"continue;","enclosing_symbol":"route"}
  ],
  "truncated": false
}

Precision Boundary

C naturally produces only the subset of normalized facts its syntax supports. Neither C nor C++ models kwargs or decorators, and the query engine does not resolve the static type of service.

Traverse Indexed Types And Members

class QueryRoot {
public:
    virtual void root_member() {}
};

class QueryLeaf : public QueryRoot {
public:
    void leaf_member() {}
};

(supertypes :depth 2 (enclosing-decl (language cpp (class :name "QueryLeaf"))))

{"languages":["cpp"],"match":{"kind":"class","name":"QueryLeaf"},"steps":[{"op":"enclosing_decl"},{"op":"supertypes","depth":2}]}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "end_line": 4,
      "fq_name": "QueryRoot",
      "kind": "class",
      "language": "cpp",
      "path": "cpp/hierarchy.cpp",
      "provenance": [
        {
          "seed": {
            "end_line": 9,
            "kind": "class",
            "path": "cpp/hierarchy.cpp",
            "result_type": "structural_match",
            "start_line": 6
          },
          "steps": [
            {
              "op": "enclosing_decl",
              "result": {
                "end_line": 9,
                "fq_name": "QueryLeaf",
                "kind": "class",
                "path": "cpp/hierarchy.cpp",
                "result_type": "declaration",
                "start_line": 6
              }
            },
            {
              "op": "supertypes",
              "result": {
                "end_line": 4,
                "fq_name": "QueryRoot",
                "kind": "class",
                "path": "cpp/hierarchy.cpp",
                "result_type": "declaration",
                "start_line": 1
              }
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "result_type": "declaration",
      "signature": "class QueryRoot {",
      "start_line": 1
    }
  ],
  "truncated": false
}

(owner (members (subtypes (enclosing-decl (language cpp (class :name "QueryRoot"))))))

{"languages":["cpp"],"match":{"kind":"class","name":"QueryRoot"},"steps":[{"op":"enclosing_decl"},{"op":"subtypes"},{"op":"members"},{"op":"owner"}]}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "end_line": 9,
      "fq_name": "QueryLeaf",
      "kind": "class",
      "language": "cpp",
      "path": "cpp/hierarchy.cpp",
      "provenance": [
        {
          "seed": {
            "end_line": 4,
            "kind": "class",
            "path": "cpp/hierarchy.cpp",
            "result_type": "structural_match",
            "start_line": 1
          },
          "steps": [
            {
              "op": "enclosing_decl",
              "result": {
                "end_line": 4,
                "fq_name": "QueryRoot",
                "kind": "class",
                "path": "cpp/hierarchy.cpp",
                "result_type": "declaration",
                "start_line": 1
              }
            },
            {
              "op": "subtypes",
              "result": {
                "end_line": 9,
                "fq_name": "QueryLeaf",
                "kind": "class",
                "path": "cpp/hierarchy.cpp",
                "result_type": "declaration",
                "start_line": 6
              }
            },
            {
              "op": "members",
              "result": {
                "end_line": 8,
                "fq_name": "QueryLeaf.leaf_member",
                "kind": "function",
                "path": "cpp/hierarchy.cpp",
                "result_type": "declaration",
                "start_line": 8
              }
            },
            {
              "op": "owner",
              "result": {
                "end_line": 9,
                "fq_name": "QueryLeaf",
                "kind": "class",
                "path": "cpp/hierarchy.cpp",
                "result_type": "declaration",
                "start_line": 6
              }
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "result_type": "declaration",
      "signature": "class QueryLeaf : public QueryRoot {",
      "start_line": 6
    }
  ],
  "truncated": false
}