@title GNU GLOBAL source code tag system
@link Top page
@license
Copyright (c) 2000, 2001 Tama Communications Corporation
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
@body
<p>
<a href=http://www.tamacom.com/tour/kernel/linux/>
<img src=htags2.png align=right alt='Linux source code'>
</a>
GNU GLOBAL is a source code tag system that works the same way
across diverse environments.
You can locate a specified object in the source files and move there easily.
It is useful for hacking a large project containing many subdirectories,
many <CODE>#ifdef</CODE> and many <CODE>main()</CODE> functions.
It is similar to ctags or etags but is different from them at the point of independence of any editor.
It runs on a UNIX(POSIX) compatible operating system like GNU and BSD.

<p>
GNU GLOBAL is part of the <a href="http://www.gnu.org/">GNU project</a>,
and is <a href="http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html">free software</a>.
You can freely copy, modify and redistribute this program under
<a href=license.html>GNU GPL</a>.

<p>
GNU GLOBAL has following features:

<ul>
<li> support C, C++, Yacc, Java and PHP4.
<li> work the same way across diverse environments.
        Currently, support followings:
        <ul>
        <li> Generic shell command line
        <li> Bash shell
        <li> Vi clone editor (nvi, elvis, vim)
        <li> Emacs editor (emacs, mule, xemacs)
	<li> Glimmer editor
	<li> Less viewer
        <li> Web browser
		(See <a href=http://www.tamacom.com/tour/kernel/linux/>UNIX kernel source tour!</a>.)
	<li> Doxygen documentation system
        </ul>
<li> find the locations of a specified object quickly.
<li> locate not only object definitions but also object references.
<li> allows duplicate objects.
<li> locate also path which includes specified pattern.
<li> treat a source tree containing subdirectories as a logical scope.
You can get the relative path of objects from anywhere within that scope.
<li> search not only in a source tree but also in library paths.
<li> understand POSIX 1003.2 regular expressions.
<li> support external search engine (grep and idutils).
<li> generate hypertext of source code (XHTML ready).
<li> tag files are independent of machine architecture.
<li> plugged-in parser is available to treat new language.
<li> compact format is available to save disk space.
<li> support incremental updating of tag files.
<li> support customizing with gtags.conf.
<li> generate completion list for completing input method.
</ul>

If you have a plan to make a yet another editor with tag facility
then you can use GLOBAL as the tag system.
<p align=right><i>May the GLOBAL be under you like the globe!</i></p>