Javadoc for SableCC grammar file

[Bui Hong Phuc]

Hi,

How can I extend the SableCC Parser generator to generate Java files with
"Javadoc", which I write in Tokens and Productions. For example I have

Tokens
    /** the plus sign in expression */
    plus = '+';

then I will get something like:

/**
 * the plus sign in expression
 */
public TPlus extends Token{
    /** ... */
}

For productions it may be:

Abstract Syntax Tree
    /** represents the arithmetical expression */
    expression =
        /** represents the addition */
        {add} expresion plus expresion
        /** represents the multiplication */
        |{mul} expression mul expresion;

I will get something like

/** represents the arithmetical expression */
public abstract class Expression extends Node{
// ...
}

/** represents the addition */
public class AAddExpression extends PExpression{
// ...
}

My first Idea is, I parse the grammar twice. At the first time I let SableCC generate the java files as normal.
At the second I recognize the javadoc in the grammar files (with some modi in the SableCC grammar file for
SableCC selft), then I parse the generated java file, combine the recognized javadoc with the AST and re-serialize
the AST to new Java file with Javadoc. But this way take to many time to implement. So has someone other idea?

Thank,

Hong Phuc

[Etienne Gagnon]

Hi Hong Phuc,

I really like this idea.

I don't recommend undertaking big projects in the SableCC 3 code base. But, your project seems an interesting one for SableCC 4.

Once SableCC 4 becomes self generating (for its parser), you could probably implement your idea without the need to parse twice. I'm working on it (SableCC 4).

Etienne

Etienne Gagnon, Ph.D.
http://sablecc.org

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[Bui Hong Phuc]

Hi Etienne,

so I'll try to parse the generated files and wait for the new SableCC 4. :)
Because nowadays IDEs support the on-the-fly javadoc browser, I think this idea
could be helpful for programmer to use the generated parser within a IDE.

Hong Phuc