Ubuntu Manpage: page_util_norm_peg - page AST normalization, PEG

NAME

       page_util_norm_peg - page AST normalization, PEG

SYNOPSIS

       package require page::util::norm_peg  ?0.1?

       package require snit

       ::page::util::norm::peg tree

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION

       This package provides a single utility command which takes an AST for a parsing expression
       grammar and normalizes it in various ways. The result is called a  Normalized  PE  Grammar
       Tree.

       Note  that  this  package  can  only  be  used from within a plugin managed by the package
       page::pluginmgr.

API

::page::util::norm::peg tree
This command assumes the tree object contains for a parsing expression grammar. It
normalizes this tree in place. The result is called a Normalized PE Grammar Tree.

The following operations are performd

[1] The data for all terminals is stored in their grandparental nodes. The
terminal nodes and their parents are removed. Type information is dropped.

[2] All nodes which have exactly one child are irrelevant and are removed, with
the exception of the root node. The immediate child of the root is
irrelevant as well, and removed as well.

[3] The name of the grammar is moved from the tree node it is stored in to an
attribute of the root node, and the tree node removed.

The node keeping the start expression separate is removed as irrelevant and
the root node of the start expression tagged with a marker attribute, and
its handle saved in an attribute of the root node for quick access.

[4] Nonterminal hint information is moved from nodes into attributes, and the
now irrelevant nodes are deleted.

Note: This transformation is dependent on the removal of all nodes with
exactly one child, as it removes the all 'Attribute' nodes already.
Otherwise this transformation would have to put the information into the
grandparental node.

The default mode given to the nonterminals is value.

Like with the global metadata definition specific information is moved out
out of nodes into attributes, the now irrelevant nodes are deleted, and the
root nodes of all definitions are tagged with marker attributes. This
provides us with a mapping from nonterminal names to their defining nodes as
well, which is saved in an attribute of the root node for quick reference.

At last the range in the input covered by a definition is computed. The left
extent comes from the terminal for the nonterminal symbol it defines. The
right extent comes from the rightmost child under the definition. While this
not an expression tree yet the location data is sound already.

[5] The remaining nodes under all definitions are transformed into proper
expression trees. First character ranges, followed by unary operations,
characters, and nonterminals. At last the tree is flattened by the removal
of superfluous inner nodes.

The order matters, to shed as much nodes as possible early, and to avoid
unnecessary work later.

BUGS, IDEAS, FEEDBACK

       This document, and the package it describes,  will  undoubtedly  contain  bugs  and  other
       problems.    Please   report   such   in   the   category  page  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.

KEYWORDS

       PEG, graph walking, normalization, page, parser generator, text processing, tree walking

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (c) 2007 Andreas Kupries <andreas_kupries@users.sourceforge.net>