From: Bob Calco <robert.calco@...>
Date: 2002-09-18T02:08:48+09:00
Subject: RE: Why are parser tools rarely used in ruby?

Phil et al.:

I think I can have an operational lexer/parser in about two weeks or so. It
will be a DLL you can dynamically link to and/or a LIB file that you can
statically link to in C or C++. The goal is to provide a 100% 1.7
compatible, general-purpose AST and an API for traversing it, whatever your
purpose is - interpreting, compiling to C code, compiling to byte code, etc.
It will be C compatible so you could theoretically call it from Ruby/DL for
basic parsing, obviating the need to code in C/C++ for those C-sick types
who get queasy at the mere sight of declared variables, asterisks,
ampersands and squiggley braces.

Not sure about how it will stack up to Ruth; I haven't seen that. Got a
link? I couldn't find it in RAA doing a brain-dead "CTRL-F" search for
"Ruth".

-- Bob

%% -----Original Message-----
%% From: Phil Tomson [mailto:ptkwt@shell1.aracnet.com]
%% Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2002 2:33 AM
%% To: ruby-talk ML
%% Subject: Re: Why are parser tools rarely used in ruby?
%%
%%
%% In article <001301c25dea$5dfbaae0$d501a8c0@TECHNO>,
%% Rich Kilmer <rich@infoether.com> wrote:
%% >Just to put in a little plug for a friend...Bob Calco is actively
%% >working on a c-parser for Ruby code based on Matz's parse.y file that
%% >detaches the Ruby source parsing from the Runtime.  Its going to build
%% >c-structures of the parsed AST and will be usable by Ruby programs (to
%% >parse Ruby) examples of which are the FreeRIDE IDE for fast source
%% >parsing.  It will also be useful for other languages that want to parse
%% >Ruby (through C).
%% >
%%
%% So we'll be able to get the AST for the currently running program?  Any
%% schedule for the initial release?  Does Bob need any help?  I'm thinking
%% this might be useful for Cardinal.
%%
%% BTW: Is this similar to Ruth which I belive is also based on Matz'
%% parse.y file?
%%
%% Phil
%%