pt::pe::op - Parsing Expression Utilities
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
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.
  - ::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. 
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).
 
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}}}}
 
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
    [http://core.tcl.tk/tcllib/reportlist]. 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
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    button in the secondary navigation bar.
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
Copyright (c) 2009 Andreas Kupries <andreas_kupries@users.sourceforge.net>