🔍

Dynamic parsers

Text parsers can be dynamically created as well as binary parsers for user-defined grammars using PEG parser combinator right out-of-the-box. See Parsing Expression Grammar.

For example, let's create a simple parser that eats only strings consisting of "p" chars:

o)p:<- "p"+
<Parser["p"+]>
o)p "ppppp"
"ppppp"
o)p "pppppa"
** runtime error: `peg`:
Input: <a>
o)

Main syntax is <- followed by a parsing rule. A parser, like any other type in O language, can be assigned to a variable (symbol) and used later. Using parser with a string or a byte array just calls it like a function.

Parsing expression rules

  • An atomic parsing expression consists of:
    • any termіnal symbol,
    • any nontermіnal symbol, or
    • the empty string ε.
  • Given any existing parsing expressions e, e1, and e2, a new parsing expression can be constructed using such operators:
    • Sequence: e1 e2
    • Ordered choice: e1 | e2
    • Zero-or-more: e*
    • One-or-more: e+
    • Optional: e?
    • And-predicate: &e
    • Not-predicate: !e

Syntax reference

Term Description
"text" String literal. Escapes are supported as well.
[abctrn] One of symbols.
[a-z] Range.
[^ab0-9] Not one of/range.
"a" "b" [f-k] Sequence of terms.
thing Reference to another parser bound to symbol `thing
thing? An optional expression. This is greedy, always consumіng thing if it exists.
&thing A lookahead assertion. Ensures thing matches at the current position but does not consume it.
!thing A negative lookahead assertion. Matches if thing isn't found here. Doesn't consume any text.
thing* Zero or more thing. This is greedy, always consumіng as many repetitions as it can.
thing+ One or more thing. This is greedy, always consumіng as many repetitions as it can.
thing{2,3} Mіnimum 2 or mаximum 3 times thing. This is greedy, always consumіng as many repetitions as it can.
\x01 Binary parser matches byte 0x01.
thing# Drops matched input, parsed by thing.
thing/{"I"$x} Maps result of parser `thing to lambda followed by **/**.
thing1 | thing2 Tries thing1 then thing2 if first was not successful.
thing->nm Maps result of thing to dict with key `nm.
\d Matches any digit.
\w Matches any alphabetical symbol.
\W Matches any digit or alphabetial symbol.
\s Matches SPACE
\S Matches any of: SPACE, TAB, CARRIAGE_RETURN, LINE_FEED
\. Matches any symbol.
\$ End of input.
@(..) Any expression returns parser
(thing) Grouping.

FIX parsing example

o)string: <- [^\t\r\n|]+;
o)header: <- "8="# string "|"#"9="# \d+ "|"# /{`fixver`size!(x 0;"I"$x 1)};
o)header "8=FIX.4.4|9=126|"
fixver| "FIX.4.4"
size  | 126i
o)