Document named references.

* doc/bison.texinfo (Actions): Add new example and xref to
	Using Named References node.
	(Using Named References): New node.
This commit is contained in:
Alex Rozenman
2009-11-14 22:06:26 +02:00
parent 5297ebb3bc
commit d013372c3f
2 changed files with 146 additions and 3 deletions

View File

@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ Defining Language Semantics
* Mid-Rule Actions:: Most actions go at the end of a rule.
This says when, why and how to use the exceptional
action in the middle of a rule.
* Named References:: Using named references in actions.
Tracking Locations
@@ -3367,6 +3368,7 @@ the numbers associated with @var{x} and @var{y}.
* Mid-Rule Actions:: Most actions go at the end of a rule.
This says when, why and how to use the exceptional
action in the middle of a rule.
* Named References:: Using named references in actions.
@end menu
@node Value Type
@@ -3428,6 +3430,8 @@ Decl, ,Nonterminal Symbols}).
@cindex action
@vindex $$
@vindex $@var{n}
@vindex $@var{name}
@vindex $[@var{name}]
An action accompanies a syntactic rule and contains C code to be executed
each time an instance of that rule is recognized. The task of most actions
@@ -3444,9 +3448,12 @@ Actions, ,Actions in Mid-Rule}).
The C code in an action can refer to the semantic values of the components
matched by the rule with the construct @code{$@var{n}}, which stands for
the value of the @var{n}th component. The semantic value for the grouping
being constructed is @code{$$}. Bison translates both of these
being constructed is @code{$$}. In addition, the semantic values of
symbols can be accessed with the named references construct
@code{$@var{name}} or @code{$[@var{name}]}. Bison translates both of these
constructs into expressions of the appropriate type when it copies the
actions into the parser file. @code{$$} is translated to a modifiable
actions into the parser file. @code{$$} (or @code{$@var{name}}, when it
stands for the current grouping) is translated to a modifiable
lvalue, so it can be assigned to.
Here is a typical example:
@@ -3459,16 +3466,31 @@ exp: @dots{}
@end group
@end example
Or, in terms of named references:
@example
@group
exp[result]: @dots{}
| exp[left] '+' exp[right]
@{ $result = $left + $right; @}
@end group
@end example
@noindent
This rule constructs an @code{exp} from two smaller @code{exp} groupings
connected by a plus-sign token. In the action, @code{$1} and @code{$3}
(@code{$left} and @code{$right})
refer to the semantic values of the two component @code{exp} groupings,
which are the first and third symbols on the right hand side of the rule.
The sum is stored into @code{$$} so that it becomes the semantic value of
The sum is stored into @code{$$} (@code{$result}) so that it becomes the
semantic value of
the addition-expression just recognized by the rule. If there were a
useful semantic value associated with the @samp{+} token, it could be
referred to as @code{$2}.
@xref{Named References,,Using Named References}, for more information
about using the named references construct.
Note that the vertical-bar character @samp{|} is really a rule
separator, and actions are attached to a single rule. This is a
difference with tools like Flex, for which @samp{|} stands for either
@@ -3763,6 +3785,93 @@ compound: subroutine
Now Bison can execute the action in the rule for @code{subroutine} without
deciding which rule for @code{compound} it will eventually use.
@node Named References
@subsection Using Named References
@cindex named references
While every semantic value can be accessed with positional references
@code{$@var{n}} and @code{$$}, it's often much more convenient to refer to
them by name. First of all, original symbol names may be used as named
references. For example:
@example
@group
invocation: op '(' args ')'
@{ $invocation = new_invocation ($op, $args, @@invocation); @}
@end group
@end example
@noindent
The positional @code{$$}, @code{@@$}, @code{$n}, and @code{@@n} can be
mixed with @code{$name} and @code{@@name} arbitrarily. For example:
@example
@group
invocation: op '(' args ')'
@{ $$ = new_invocation ($op, $args, @@$); @}
@end group
@end example
@noindent
However, sometimes regular symbol names are not sufficient due to
ambiguities:
@example
@group
exp: exp '/' exp
@{ $exp = $exp / $exp; @} // $exp is ambiguous.
exp: exp '/' exp
@{ $$ = $1 / $exp; @} // One usage is ambiguous.
exp: exp '/' exp
@{ $$ = $1 / $3; @} // No error.
@end group
@end example
@noindent
When ambiguity occurs, explicitly declared names may be used for values and
locations. Explicit names are declared as a bracketed name after a symbol
appearance in rule definitions. For example:
@example
@group
exp[result]: exp[left] '/' exp[right]
@{ $result = $left / $right; @}
@end group
@end example
@noindent
Explicit names may be declared for RHS and for LHS symbols as well. In order
to access a semantic value generated by a mid-rule action, an explicit name
may also be declared by putting a bracketed name after the closing brace of
the mid-rule action code:
@example
@group
exp[res]: exp[x] '+' @{$left = $x;@}[left] exp[right]
@{ $res = $left + $right; @}
@end group
@end example
@noindent
In references, in order to specify names containing dots and dashes, an explicit
bracketed syntax @code{$[name]} and @code{@@[name]} must be used:
@example
@group
if-stmt: IF '(' expr ')' THEN then.stmt ';'
@{ $[if-stmt] = new_if_stmt ($expr, $[then.stmt]); @}
@end group
@end example
It often happens that named references are followed by a dot, dash or other
C punctuation marks and operators. By default, Bison will read
@code{$name.suffix} as a reference to symbol value @code{$name} followed by
@samp{.suffix}, i.e., an access to the @samp{suffix} field of the semantic
value. In order to force Bison to recognize @code{name.suffix} in its entirety
as the name of a semantic value, bracketed syntax @code{$[name.suffix]}
must be used.
@node Locations
@section Tracking Locations
@cindex location
@@ -3818,6 +3927,8 @@ Action Decl, , Performing Actions before Parsing}.
@cindex actions, location
@vindex @@$
@vindex @@@var{n}
@vindex @@@var{name}
@vindex @@[@var{name}]
Actions are not only useful for defining language semantics, but also for
describing the behavior of the output parser with locations.
@@ -3829,6 +3940,11 @@ The location of the @var{n}th component of the right hand side is
@code{@@@var{n}}, while the location of the left hand side grouping is
@code{@@$}.
In addition, the named references construct @code{@@@var{name}} and
@code{@@[@var{name}]} may also be used to address the symbol locations.
@xref{Named References,,Using Named References}, for more information
about using the named references construct.
Here is a basic example using the default data type for locations:
@example
@@ -10446,6 +10562,16 @@ In an action, the location of the @var{n}-th symbol of the right-hand
side of the rule. @xref{Locations, , Locations Overview}.
@end deffn
@deffn {Variable} @@@var{name}
In an action, the location of a symbol addressed by name.
@xref{Locations, , Locations Overview}.
@end deffn
@deffn {Variable} @@[@var{name}]
In an action, the location of a symbol addressed by name.
@xref{Locations, , Locations Overview}.
@end deffn
@deffn {Variable} $$
In an action, the semantic value of the left-hand side of the rule.
@xref{Actions}.
@@ -10456,6 +10582,16 @@ In an action, the semantic value of the @var{n}-th symbol of the
right-hand side of the rule. @xref{Actions}.
@end deffn
@deffn {Variable} $@var{name}
In an action, the semantic value of a symbol addressed by name.
@xref{Actions}.
@end deffn
@deffn {Variable} $[@var{name}]
In an action, the semantic value of a symbol addressed by name.
@xref{Actions}.
@end deffn
@deffn {Delimiter} %%
Delimiter used to separate the grammar rule section from the
Bison declarations section or the epilogue.