NAME

       "Tangence::Compiler::Parser" - parse "Tangence" interface definition files

DESCRIPTION

       This subclass of Parser::MGC parses a Tangence interface definition and returns a metadata
       tree.

GRAMMAR

       The top level of an interface definition file contains "include" directives and "class"
       and "struct" definitions.

   include
       An "include" directive imports the definitions from another file, named relative to the
       current file.

          include "filename.tan"

   class
       A "class" definition defines the set of methods, events and properties defined by a named
       class.

          class N {
             ...
          }

       The contents of the class block will be a list of "method", "event", "prop" and "isa"
       declarations.

   struct
       A "struct" definition defines the list of fields contained within a named structure type.

          struct N {
             ...
          }

       The contents of the struct block will be a list of "field" declarations.

   method
       A "method" declaration defines one method in the class, giving its name (N) and types of
       its arguments and and return (T).

          method N(T, T, ...) -> T;

   event
       An "event" declaration defines one event raised by the class, giving its name (N) and
       types of its arguments (T).

          event N(T, T, ...);

   prop
       A "prop" declaration defines one property supported by the class, giving its name (N),
       dimension (D) and type (T). It may be declared as a "smashed" property.

          [smashed] prop N = D of T;

       Scalar properties may omit the "scalar of", by supplying just the type

          [smashed] prop N = T;

   isa
       An "isa" declaration declares a superclass of the class, by its name (C)

          isa C;

   Types
       The following basic type names are recognised

          bool int str obj any
          s8 s16 s32 s64 u8 u16 u32 u64

       Aggregate types may be formed of any type (T) by

          list(T) dict(T)

SUBCLASS METHODS

       If this class is subclassed, the following methods may be overridden to customise the
       behaviour. They allow the subclass to return different objects in the syntax tree.

   make_class
          $class = $parser->make_class( name => $name )

       Return a new instance of Tangence::Meta::Class to go in a package. The parser will call
       "define" on it.

   make_struct
          $struct = $parser->make_struct( name => $name )

       Return a new instance of Tangence::Meta::Struct to go in a package. The parser will call
       "define" on it.

   make_method
          $method = $parser->make_method( %args )

   make_event
          $event = $parser->make_event( %args )

   make_property
          $property = $parser->make_property( %args )

       Return a new instance of Tangence::Meta::Method, Tangence::Meta::Event or
       Tangence::Meta::Property to go in a class.

   make_argument
          $argument = $parser->make_argument( %args )

       Return a new instance of Tangence::Meta::Argument to use for a method or event argument.

   make_field
          $field = $parser->make_field( %args )

       Return a new instance of Tangence::Meta::Field to use for a structure type.

   make_type
          $type = $parser->make_type( $primitive_name )

          $type = $parser->make_type( $aggregate_name => $member_type )

       Return an instance of Tangence::Meta::Type representing the given primitive or aggregate
       type name. An implementation is allowed to use singleton objects and return identical
       objects for the same primitive name or aggregate and member type.

AUTHOR

       Paul Evans <leonerd@leonerd.org.uk>