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# pt::pe::op(n) 1.0.1 tcllib "Parser Tools"

## Name

pt::pe::op - Parsing Expression Utilities

## Synopsis

- package require Tcl 8.5
- package require pt::pe::op ?1.0.1?
- package require pt::pe ?1?
- package require struct::set

- ::pt::pe::op drop dropset pe
- ::pt::pe::op rename nt ntnew pe
- ::pt::pe::op called pe
- ::pt::pe::op flatten pe
- ::pt::pe::op fusechars pe

## Description

Are you lost ? Do you have trouble understanding this document ? In that case please read the overview provided by the Introduction to Parser Tools. This document is the entrypoint to the whole system the current package is a part of.

This package provides additional commands to work with the serializations of parsing expressions as managed by the PEG and related packages, and specified in section PE serialization format.

This is an internal package, for use by the higher level packages handling PEGs, their conversion into and out of various other formats, or other uses.

## API

::pt::pe::op drop dropset pe

  This command removes all occurences of any of the nonterminals symbols in the set dropset from the parsing expression pe, and simplifies it. This may result in the expression becoming "epsilon", i.e. matching nothing.

::pt::pe::op rename nt ntnew pe

  This command renames all occurences of the nonterminal nt in the parsing expression pe into ntnew.

::pt::pe::op called pe

  This command extracts the set of all nonterminal symbols used, i.e. 'called', in the parsing expression pe.

::pt::pe::op flatten pe

  This command transforms the parsing expression by eliminating sequences nested in sequences, and choices in choices, lifting the children of the nested expression into the parent. It further eliminates all sequences and choices with only one child, as these are redundant.

  The resulting parsing expression is returned as the result of the command.

::pt::pe::op fusechars pe

  This command transforms the parsing expression by fusing adjacent terminals in sequences and adjacent terminals and ranges in choices, it (re)constructs highlevel strings and character classes.

  The resulting pseudo-parsing expression is returned as the result of the command and may contain the pseudo-operators str for character sequences, aka strings, and cl for character choices, aka character classes.

  The result is called a pseudo-parsing expression because it is not a true parsing expression anymore, and will fail a check with ::pt::peg verify if the new pseudo-operators are present in the result, but is otherwise of sound structure for a parsing expression. Notably, the commands ::pt::peg bottomup and ::pt::peg topdown will process them without trouble.

## PE serialization format

Here we specify the format used by the Parser Tools to serialize Parsing Expressions as immutable values for transport, comparison, etc.

We distinguish between regular and canonical serializations. While a parsing expression may have more than one regular serialization only exactly one of them will be canonical.

Regular serialization
  Atomic Parsing Expressions

    1. The string epsilon is an atomic parsing expression. It matches the empty string.

    2. The string dot is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any character.

    3. The string alnum is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any Unicode alphabet or digit character. This is a custom extension of PEs based on Tcl's builtin command string is.

    4. The string alpha is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any Unicode alphabet character. This is a custom extension of PEs based on Tcl's builtin command string is.

    5. The string ascii is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any Unicode character below U0080. This is a custom extension of PEs based on Tcl's builtin command string is.

    6. The string control is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any Unicode control character. This is a custom extension of PEs based on Tcl's builtin command string is.

    7. The string digit is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any Unicode digit character. Note that this includes characters outside of the [0..9] range. This is a custom extension of PEs based on Tcl's builtin command string is.

    8. The string graph is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any Unicode printing character, except for space. This is a custom extension of PEs based on Tcl's builtin command string is.

    9. The string lower is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any Unicode lower-case alphabet character. This is a custom extension of PEs based on Tcl's builtin command string is.

    10. The string print is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any Unicode printing character, including space. This is a custom extension of PEs based on Tcl's builtin command string is.

    11. The string punct is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any Unicode punctuation character. This is a custom extension of PEs based on Tcl's builtin command string is.

    12. The string space is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any Unicode space character. This is a custom extension of PEs based on Tcl's builtin command string is.

    13. The string upper is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any Unicode upper-case alphabet character. This is a custom extension of PEs based on Tcl's builtin command string is.

    14. The string wordchar is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any Unicode word character. This is any alphanumeric character (see alnum), and any connector punctuation characters (e.g. underscore). This is a custom extension of PEs based on Tcl's builtin command string is.

    15. The string xdigit is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any hexadecimal digit character. This is a custom extension of PEs based on Tcl's builtin command string is.

    16. The string ddigit is an atomic parsing expression. It matches any decimal digit character. This is a custom extension of PEs based on Tcl's builtin command regexp.

    17. The expression [list t x] is an atomic parsing expression. It matches the terminal string x.

    18. The expression [list n A] is an atomic parsing expression. It matches the nonterminal A.

  Combined Parsing Expressions

    1. For parsing expressions e1, e2, ... the result of [list / e1 e2 ... ] is a parsing expression as well. This is the ordered choice, aka prioritized choice.

    2. For parsing expressions e1, e2, ... the result of [list x e1 e2 ... ] is a parsing expression as well. This is the sequence.

    3. For a parsing expression e the result of [list * e] is a parsing expression as well. This is the kleene closure, describing zero or more repetitions.

    4. For a parsing expression e the result of [list + e] is a parsing expression as well. This is the positive kleene closure, describing one or more repetitions.

    5. For a parsing expression e the result of [list & e] is a parsing expression as well. This is the and lookahead predicate.

    6. For a parsing expression e the result of [list ! e] is a parsing expression as well. This is the not lookahead predicate.

    7. For a parsing expression e the result of [list ? e] is a parsing expression as well. This is the optional input.

Canonical serialization

  The canonical serialization of a parsing expression has the format as specified in the previous item, and then additionally satisfies the constraints below, which make it unique among all the possible serializations of this parsing expression.

  1. The string representation of the value is the canonical representation of a pure Tcl list. I.e. it does not contain superfluous whitespace.

  2. Terminals are not encoded as ranges (where start and end of the range are identical).

### Example

Assuming the parsing expression shown on the right-hand side of the rule

        Expression <- Term (AddOp Term)*

then its canonical serialization (except for whitespace) is

        {x {n Term} {* {x {n AddOp} {n Term}}}}

## 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. 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 © 2009 Andreas Kupries <andreas_kupries@users.sourceforge.net>