Syntax Definition Formalism
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The Syntax Definition Formalism (SDF) is a metasyntax used to define context-free grammars: that is, a formal way to describe formal languages. It can express the entire range of context-free grammars. Its current version is SDF3.cite-ref-1[1] A parser and parser generator for SDF specifications are provided as part of the free ASF+SDF Meta Environment. These operate using the SGLR (Scannerless GLR parser). An SDF parser outputs parse trees or, in the case of ambiguities, parse forests.
Contents
• Overview
• Examples
• See also
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Overview
Features of SDF:
• Supports the entire range of context-free languages
• Allows modular syntax definitions (grammars can import subgrammars) which enables reuse
• Supports annotations
Examples
The following example defines a simple Boolean expression syntax in SDF2:
module basic/Booleans
exports
sorts Boolean
context-free start-symbols Boolean
context-free syntax
"true" -> Boolean
"false" -> Boolean
lhs:Boolean "|" rhs:Boolean -> Boolean {left}
lhs:Boolean "&" rhs:Boolean -> Boolean {left}
"not" "(" Boolean ")" -> Boolean
"(" Boolean ")" -> Boolean
context-free priorities
Boolean "&" Boolean -> Boolean >
Boolean "|" Boolean -> Boolean
Program analysis and transformation systems using SDF
See also
References
Further reading
• A Quick Introduction to SDF, Visser, J. & Scheerder, J. (2000) CWI
• The Syntax Definition Formalism SDF, Mark van den Brand, Paul Klint, Jurgen Vinju (2007) CWI
External links
• Grammar Deployment Kit
• SdfMetz computes metrics for SDF grammars
• Download SDF from the ASF+SDF Meta Environment homepage