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CLI Open source 1,342 installs/mo

flex for Mac

Fast Lexical Analyzer, generates Scanners (tokenizers)

Quick answer: flex is a command-line tool for macOS. Install it with brew install flex. It is distributed under the BSD-2-Clause licence. It has 1,342 Homebrew installs in the last 30 days.

What flex is

flex is a command-line tool for macOS: fast Lexical Analyzer, generates Scanners (tokenizers).

It is distributed as a Homebrew formula, which builds or pours a binary and puts it on your PATH. The project is open source and lives at https://github.com/westes/flex.

How to install flex

  1. Open Terminal (press ⌘ + Space and type “Terminal”).
  2. If Homebrew is not installed yet, run the installer below once.
  3. Run brew install flex.

Homebrew installer, if you need it:

Prefer a graphical installer? Download it from the official site. MacPicks never hosts or mirrors binaries — the Homebrew command always pulls from the vendor's own release.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I install flex on Mac?

Run brew install flex in Terminal. This requires Homebrew; if you do not have it, install it first with the command below.

Is flex open source?

Yes — Homebrew distributes it under the BSD-2-Clause licence.

Does flex run on Apple silicon?

Homebrew publishes this formula for macOS. If upstream does not ship an Apple silicon build, Rosetta 2 handles the Intel binary.

How popular is flex?

It was installed 1,342 times in the last 30 days according to Homebrew analytics, ranking #866 in this catalogue.

What version of flex is current?

The latest packaged version is 2.6.4.