NAME

       bison - GNU Project parser generator (yacc replacement)

SYNOPSIS

       bison [ -b file-prefix ] [ --file-prefix=file-prefix ] [ -d ] [ --defines ] [ -l ] [ --no-
       lines ] [ -o outfile ] [ --output-file=outfile ] [ -p prefix ] [ --name-prefix=prefix ]  [
       -t  ]  [  --debug ] [ -v ] [ --verbose ] [ -V ] [ --version ] [ -y ] [ --yacc ] [ --fixed-
       output-files ] file

DESCRIPTION

       Bison is a parser generator in the style of yacc(1).  It  should  be  upwardly  compatible
       with input files designed for yacc.

       Input files should follow the yacc convention of ending in .y.  Unlike yacc, the generated
       files do not have fixed names, but  instead  use  the  prefix  of  the  input  file.   For
       instance, a grammar description file named parse.y would produce the generated parser in a
       file named parse.tab.c, instead of yacc's y.tab.c.

       This description of the options that can be given  to  bison  is  adapted  from  the  node
       Invocation in the bison.texinfo manual, which should be taken as authoritative.

       Bison  supports  both  traditional  single-letter  options and mnemonic long option names.
       Long option names are indicated with -- instead of -.  Abbreviations for option names  are
       allowed  as  long  as they are unique.  When a long option takes an argument, like --file-
       prefix, connect the option name and the argument with =.

   OPTIONS
       -b file-prefix
       --file-prefix=file-prefix
              Specify a prefix to use for all bison output file names.  The names are  chosen  as
              if the input file were named file-prefix.c.

       -d
       --defines
              Write  an  extra  output file containing macro definitions for the token type names
              defined in the grammar and the semantic value type YYSTYPE, as well as a few extern
              variable declarations.

              If the parser output file is named name.c then this file is named name.h.

              This  output  file  is  essential  if  you wish to put the definition of yylex in a
              separate source file, because yylex needs to be able to refer to token  type  codes
              and the variable yylval.

       -l
       --no-lines
              Don't  put  any  #line  preprocessor commands in the parser file.  Ordinarily bison
              puts them in the parser file so that the C compiler and  debuggers  will  associate
              errors  with  your  source  file,  the  grammar  file.   This option causes them to
              associate errors with the parser file, treating it an independent  source  file  in
              its own right.

       -o outfile
       --output-file=outfile
              Specify the name outfile for the parser file.

              The  other  output files' names are constructed from outfile as described under the
              -v and -d switches.

       -p prefix
       --name-prefix=prefix
              Rename the external symbols used in the parser  so  that  they  start  with  prefix
              instead  of  yy.   The  precise list of symbols renamed is yyparse, yylex, yyerror,
              yylval, yychar, and yydebug.

              For example, if you use -p c, the names become cparse, clex, and so on.

       -t
       --debug
              Output a definition of the  macro  YYDEBUG  into  the  parser  file,  so  that  the
              debugging facilities are compiled.

       -v
       --verbose
              Write an extra output file containing verbose descriptions of the parser states and
              what is done for each type of look-ahead token in that state.

              This file also describes  all  the  conflicts,  both  those  resolved  by  operator
              precedence and the unresolved ones.

              The  file's name is made by removing .tab.c or .c from the parser output file name,
              and adding .output instead.

              Therefore, if the input file is foo.y, then the parser file is called foo.tab.c  by
              default.  As a consequence, the verbose output file is called foo.output.

       -V
       --version
              Print the version number of bison.

       -y
       --yacc
       --fixed-output-files
              Equivalent  to  -o y.tab.c; the parser output file is called y.tab.c, and the other
              outputs are called y.output and y.tab.h.  The purpose of this switch is to  imitate
              yacc's  output  file  name  conventions.   Thus,  the  following  shell  script can
              substitute for yacc:

              bison -y $*

       The long-named options can be introduced with `+' as well as `--', for compatibility  with
       previous releases.  Eventually support for `+' will be removed, because it is incompatible
       with the POSIX.2 standard.

FILES

       /usr/local/lib/bison.simple   simple parser
       /usr/local/lib/bison.hairy    complicated parser

SEE ALSO

       yacc(1)
       The Bison Reference Manual, included  as  the  file  bison.texinfo  in  the  bison  source
       distribution.

DIAGNOSTICS

       Self explanatory.

                                              local                                      BISON(1)