Re: Java compiler development tools

Jocelyn Paine (popx@ermine.ox.ac.uk) wrote:
: Does anyone have any recommendations for free compiler development tools
: in Java? I'm looking particularly for lexical-analyser- and
: parser-generators, or tools to help write lexical analysers and parsers.


JavaCC, from http://www.suntest.com/JavaCC/
has the advantage that it is developed by a branch of Sun, and so is
slightly less likely than most other free tools to go the way of the
diplodocus and the dodo. The developers are also very friendly and
responsive.


Other tools are also mentioned in the FAQ:
http://www.best.com/~pvdl
but have the classic problem of being supported only when the
developer gets "a round tuit" - so common to most free tools.


: Must have good error reporting and recovery, even when used to parse
: odd syntaxes like HTML (but I want to parse more conventional languages
: too).


JavaCC has excellent error reporting, error recovery is in
development, and should be stable in the next release version. That's
actually true, by the way, not just the standard line - the JavaCC
folks have been surprisingly good at sticking to their promises and
their schedule over the half year or so that I have used the tool.


Tell'm I sent ya! :-)


George Ruban
--

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