Mouse: from Parsing Expressions to a practical parser

Release 1.6

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Parsing Expression Grammar (PEG) is a new way to specify recursive-descent parsers with limited backtracking. The use of backtracking lifts the LL(1) restriction usually imposed by top-down parsers. In addition, PEG can define parsers with integrated lexing.
An example of PEG:

Sum     = Space Sign Number (AddOp Number)* !_ {sum} ;
Number  = Digits? "." Digits Space {fraction}
        / Digits Space {integer} ;
Sign    = ("-" Space)? ;
AddOp   = [-+] Space ;
Digits  = [0-9]+ ;
Space   = " "* ;

Mouse is a tool to transcribe PEG into an executable parser written in Java. Unlike some existing PEG generators (e.g., Rats!), Mouse does not produce a storage-hungry "packrat parser", but a collection of transparent recursive procedures.
An example of parsing procedure generated by Mouse:

//=====================================================================
//  Sum = Space Sign Number (AddOp Number)* !_ {sum} ;
//=====================================================================
private boolean Sum()
  {
    begin("Sum");
    Space();
    Sign();
    if (!Number()) return reject();
    while (Sum_0());
    if (!aheadNot()) return reject();
    sem.sum();
    return accept();
  }

An integral feature of Mouse are extensive facilities for specifying semantics (also in Java). This makes Mouse a convenient tool if one needs an ad-hoc language processor. Being written in Java, the processor is operating-system independent.
An example of semantic procedure:

//-------------------------------------------------------------------
//  Sum = Space Sign Number AddOp Number ... AddOp Number
//          0     1    2      3     4         n-2   n-1
//-------------------------------------------------------------------
void sum()
  {
    int n = rhsSize();
    int s = (Double)rhs(2).get();
    if (!rhs(1).isEmpty()) s = -s;
    for (int i=4;i<n;i+=2)
    {
      if (rhs(i-1).charAt(0)=='+')
        s += (Double)rhs(i).get();
      else
        s -= (Double)rhs(i).get();
    }
    System.out.println(s);
  }

 

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Download user's manual / tutorial (PDF file).
Download the Mouse package (gzipped TAR file).

License: Apache Version 2.

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Grammars for Java and C

Parsing Expression Grammars for Java and C in the format accepted by Mouse are found here.
They are also included in the TAR file.

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Latest change 2013-04-16