Re: help with EBNF grammar

"Paul Meaney" <paul.meaney@qa.comstar.co.uk> wrote in message
news:01-03-154@comp.compilers...
> In searching the web I have hit on the idea of using the JavaCC
> and defining my own grammar in Extended Backus- Naur Form to turn the
> input expression into a Java statement. However all the online
> documentation for EBNF is for 2nd/ 3rd year computing courses and are
> heavily mathematical in nature. Given my background I find it really
> difficult to understand what is going on.


You've probably got hold of compiler and parsing theory information
there. One of the advantages of a parser generator (for example,
JavaCC) is of course that it takes away most of the pain of
understanding what's going on (unless you have to debug the tables, in
which case, understanding it is helpful!)


I would suggest a more practical textbook, such as "Modern Compiler
Design," by Grune, Bal, Jacobs and Langendoen, published in 2000 by
John Wiley & Sons (ISBN 0-471-97697-0).


This book has _way_ too much information for what you need it for, but
it approaches it in the right direction (to my mind).


Hope this helps,


--
Mike Dimmick

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