NAME

       pt_introduction - Introduction to Parser Tools

SYNOPSIS

       package require Tcl  8.5

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION

       Welcome to the Parser Tools, a system for the creation and manipulation of parsers and the
       grammars driving them.

       What are your goals which drove you here ?

       [1]    Do you simply wish to create a parser for some language ?

              In that case have a look at  our  parser  generator  application,  pt,  or,  for  a
              slightly deeper access, the package underneath it, pt::pgen.

       [2]    Do you wish to know more about the architecture of the system ?

              This is described in the section Parser Tools Architecture, below

       [3]    Is  your  interest  in the theoretical background upon which the packages and tools
              are build ?

              See the Introduction to Parsing Expression Grammars.

PARSER TOOLS ARCHITECTURE

       The system can be split into roughly three layers, as seen in the figure below

       IMAGE: architecture

       These layers are, from high to low:

       [1]    At the top we have the application and the packages using the packages of the layer
              below  to  implement  common  usecases.  One example is the aforementioned pt::pgen
              which provides a parser generator.

              The list of packages belonging to this layer can be found in section User Packages

       [2]    In this layer we have the packages which provide the core of the functionality  for
              the  whole  system.  They are, in essence, a set of blocks which can be combined in
              myriad ways, like Lego (tm). The packages in the previous  level  are  'just'  pre-
              fabricated combinations to cover the most important use cases.

              The list of packages belonging to this layer can be found in section Core Packages

       [3]    Last,  but  not  least  is  the layer containing support packages providing generic
              functionality which not necessarily belong into the module.

              The list of packages belonging to this  layer  can  be  found  in  section  Support
              Packages

   USER PACKAGES
       pt::pgen

   CORE PACKAGES
       This  layer  is  further  split  into  six  sections handling the storage, import, export,
       transformation, and execution of grammars, plus grammar specific support packages.

       Storage

              pt::peg::container

       Export

              pt::peg::export

              pt::peg::export::container

              pt::peg::export::json

              pt::peg::export::peg

              pt::peg::to::container

              pt::peg::to::json

              pt::peg::to::peg

              pt::peg::to::param

              pt::peg::to::tclparam

              pt::peg::to::cparam

       Import

              pt::peg::import

              pt::peg::import::container

              pt::peg::import::json

              pt::peg::import::peg

              pt::peg::from::container

              pt::peg::from::json

              pt::peg::from::peg

       Transformation

       Execution

              pt::peg::interp

              pt::rde

       Support

              pt::tclparam::configuration::snit

              pt::tclparam::configuration::tcloo

              pt::cparam::configuration::critcl

              pt::ast

              pt::pe

              pt::peg

   SUPPORT PACKAGES
       pt::peg::container::peg

       text::write

       configuration

       paths

       char

BUGS, IDEAS, FEEDBACK

       This document, and the package it describes,  will  undoubtedly  contain  bugs  and  other
       problems.    Please   report   such   in   the   category   pt   of  the  Tcllib  Trackers
       [http://core.tcl.tk/tcllib/reportlist].  Please also report any ideas for enhancements you
       may have for either package and/or documentation.

       When proposing code changes, please provide unified diffs, i.e the output of diff -u.

       Note further that attachments are strongly preferred over inlined patches. Attachments can
       be made by going to the Edit form of the ticket immediately after its creation,  and  then
       using the left-most button in the secondary navigation bar.

KEYWORDS

       EBNF,  LL(k),  PEG,  TDPL,  context-free languages, expression, grammar, matching, parser,
       parsing expression, parsing expression grammar, push down  automaton,  recursive  descent,
       state, top-down parsing languages, transducer

CATEGORY

       Parsing and Grammars

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (c) 2009 Andreas Kupries <andreas_kupries@users.sourceforge.net>