Using exceptions for error reporting/recovery?

G'day,


I'm wrting a recursive descent parser in Java, and I'd like to use
exceptions to handle error reporting and recovery, rather than supplying
halting symbols to my production recognition methods.


Something like:


    public void recognizeAssignment() {
        Designator designator = null;
        Expression expression = null;
        try {
            designator = recognizeDesignator();
        } // try
        catch(ParseException e) {
              // error in parsing designator...
              skipTo(AssignmentSymbol,SemicolonSymbol);
        } // catch
        expect(AssighnmentSymbol);
        try {
            expression = recognizeExpression();
        } // try
        catch(ParseException e) {
            // error in parsing an expression...
            skipTo(SemicolonSymbol);
        } // catch
        return new Assignment(designator,expression);
    }


I suspect there might be a paper or body of theory describing the proper
method of doing this, but I cannot find anything on the web at the
moment. Does anyone have any more info on this?


Also:


For an unrelated project, I'm looking for a grammar for the English
language (or for a structured form of English). Does anyone know where I
can find one?


Cheers,
Geoff

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