Re: language neutral parser

[Pascal Bart]

Hello,

>Not true, the parser tables are they are generated are C code, yes C++ can
>use it, since C++ is backward compatible to C. But for any othe language you
>have to modifiy the bison binary itself to generate the tables in another
>way.

I'm agree, tables and actioner (goto, switch) are always generated by
bison binary. But this is a first step, C, C++, java and perl could have
their own skeleton without change bison.

>I find the idea to use XML as intermetiate genial, something I woult not put
>into a drawer too soon.

Yes, bison will change in this way.  In fact, we work on generation of
intermediate step.

>But again this appeals to something I asked already before. What is really
>the exacter mission of the official bison project?

Good question ;)

>Just tinker in the old source somewhat, here and there? Create a C parser
>generator only? Maybe now a bit C++ also. Be an universal parser generator?

Every night, I dream about bison, which becomes an universal parser
generator. But for the moment, this is just a dream.

>Maybe help and encourage to develop new parser technologies? In addition to
>the difference of usual make the results available public. I guess there are
>dozends of better parser generators, but all closed source, or company intern
>after all.

Bison should generate parser wrotten with differents language, it should
use other parser like DRLR, it should use a better error recovery, sources
should be cleaner, ...

>I agree that today most main stream languages have their own generator. But
>this is in my eyes just an execuse, and an additional burden each language
>has to go through. I blieve the "(world) community" would really benefit of
>an universal GNU parser generator.

I'm agree. :)

Pascal Bart (address@hidden)