LLGEN(1ACK)

NAME
LLgen, an extended LL(1) parser generator

SYNOPSIS
LLgen [ -vxjw ] [ -mnum ] [ -lnum ] [ -hnum ] file ...

DESCRIPTION
LLgen converts a context-free grammar into a set of functions which form a recursive descent parser with no backtrack. The grammar may be ambiguous; ambiguities can be broken by user specifications.

LLgen reads each file in sequence. Together, these files must constitute a context-free grammar. For each file, LLgen generates an output file, which must be compiled by the C-compiler. In addition, it generates the files Lpars.c and Lpars.h. Lpars.h contains the define statements that associate the LLgen-assigned `token-codes' with user declared `token-names'. This allows other source files, for instance the source file containing the lexical analyzer, to access the token-codes by using the token-names. Lpars.c contains the error recovery routines and tables. It must also be compiled by the C-compiler.

LLgen will only update those output files that differ from their previous version. This allows LLgen to be used with make (I) convieniently.

To obtain a working program, the user must also supply a lexical analyzer, as well as main and LLmessage, an error reporting routine; Lex (I) is a useful program for creating lexical analysers usable by LLgen.

LLgen accepts the following flags:

-v  create a file called LL.output, which contains a description of the conflicts that were not resolved. If the flag is given more than once, LLgen will be more "verbose". If it is given three times, a complete description of the grammar will be supplied.

-x  the sets that are computed are extended with the nonterminal symbols and these extended sets are also included in the LL.output file.

-w  no warnings are given.

-j  when this flag is given, LLgen will generate dense switches, so that the compiler can generate a jump table for it. This will only be done for switches that have density between low_percentage and high_percentage, as explained below. Usually, compilers generate a jumptable when the density of the switch is above a certain threshold. If you want jump tables in more cases, set high_percentage to this threshold, and low_percentage to a minimum threshold. There is a time-space trade-off here.

-mnum
    minimum number of cases in a switch for the -j option to be effective. The default value is 8.

-lnum
    The low_percentage, as described above. Default value is 10.

-hnum
    The high_percentage, as described above. Default value is 30.

FILES
LL.output verbose output file
Lpars.c the error recovery routines
Lpars.h defines for token names

SEE ALSO
lex (I)
make (I)
LLgen, an Extended LL(1) Parser Generator by C.J.H. Jacobs.

DIAGNOSTICS
Are intended to be self-explanatory. They are reported on standard error. A more detailed report is found in the LL.output file.

BUGS
Because some file names are fixed, at most one LLgen process can be active in a given directory at a time.

AUTHOR
Ceriel J. H. Jacobs