Re: compiler compiler compiler

>Just curious, but has there been any research done on
>parser-generators generators? i.e. some magic tool that will take a
>specification of my favorite programming language and produce a yacc
>like parser generator.
>
>The first non-trivial thing anyone does when they invent a new
>programming language seems to be rewriting yacc so they can bootstrap
>their compiler.


Or maybe a compiler compiler compiler compiler that first invents the
new programming language?


But seriously, C++ is the only programming language that I can think of
that seemed to need a non-traditional parsing method. The relative
proliferation (actually there are very few) of new tools falls mainly
into two categories.


1. Improvements to, or ports of the venerable YACC. (bottom up)
2. LL(k) parser generators. (top down)


The main motivation for number two is summarized on page 273 of Aho and
Ullman's "The Theory of Parsing, Translation, and Compiling."


"When we look at translation, however, the left parse appears more
desirable."


The gist is that top down syntax directed translation would be
preferable if only it were not so hard to write the grammar for the
language. This mainly applied, I think, to LL(1) grammars. Left
factoring tends to mutilate many LL(1) grammars beyond recognition.
LL(k) greatly reduces the need for left factoring, so it is much easier
to produce a usable grammar.


The SLK parser generator home is http://pages.prodigy.net/dr_feriozi

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