| Abstract: | PGS is a parser generating system accepting LALR(1) and related grammars in extended BNF notation and producing parsers based on table-driven stack automata. To enable syntax-directed translation, semantic actions can be attached to rules of the input grammar. An attribution mechanism allows the transfer of information between rules. The generated parsers have an automatic error recovery which can be tailored to satisfy specific needs of the language to be accepted. PGS generates parsers written in Pascal, Modula-2, C or Ada. Compared with existing systems, e.g. YACC1, a parser generated by PGS is twice as fast and the parse tables require 25 per cent less storage. This paper gives a survey of algorithms involved in the generator and the generated parsers, and compares them with algorithms used in other systems. In detail, it compares several parse-table representations and their implications for space and time efficiency of the generated parsers. |
