SYNTAX
Encyclopedia
In computer science
, SYNTAX is a system used to generate lexical
and syntactic analyzers (parsers) (both deterministic and non-deterministic) for all kind of context-free grammar
s (CFG) as well as some classes of contextual grammars. It is developed at INRIA (France
) for several decades, mostly by Pierre Boullier, but has become free software
since 2007 only. SYNTAX is distributed under the CeCILL
license.
, LALR
, RLR) as well as general context-free grammars. The deterministic version has been used in operational contexts (e.g., Ada
), and is currently used both in the domain of compilation
. The non-deterministic features include an Earley parser generator used for natural language processing
. Parsers generated by SYNTAX include powerful error recovery mechanisms, and allow the execution of semantic actions and attribute evaluation on the abstract tree or on the shared parse forest.
, RCG) or formalisms that rely on context-free grammars and are extended thanks to attribute evaluation, in particular for natural language processing (LFG
).
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, SYNTAX is a system used to generate lexical
Lexical analysis
In computer science, lexical analysis is the process of converting a sequence of characters into a sequence of tokens. A program or function which performs lexical analysis is called a lexical analyzer, lexer or scanner...
and syntactic analyzers (parsers) (both deterministic and non-deterministic) for all kind of context-free grammar
Context-free grammar
In formal language theory, a context-free grammar is a formal grammar in which every production rule is of the formwhere V is a single nonterminal symbol, and w is a string of terminals and/or nonterminals ....
s (CFG) as well as some classes of contextual grammars. It is developed at INRIA (France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) for several decades, mostly by Pierre Boullier, but has become free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
since 2007 only. SYNTAX is distributed under the CeCILL
CeCILL
CeCILL is a free software license adapted to both international and French legal matters, in the spirit of and retaining compatibility with the GNU General Public License....
license.
Context-free parsing
SYNTAX handles most classes of deterministic (unambiguous) grammars (LRLR parser
In computer science, an LR parser is a parser that reads input from Left to right and produces a Rightmost derivation. The term LR parser is also used; where the k refers to the number of unconsumed "look ahead" input symbols that are used in making parsing decisions...
, LALR
LALR parser
In computer science, an LALR parser is a type of LR parser based on a finite-state-automata concept. The data structure used by an LALR parser is a pushdown automaton...
, RLR) as well as general context-free grammars. The deterministic version has been used in operational contexts (e.g., Ada
Ada (programming language)
Ada is a structured, statically typed, imperative, wide-spectrum, and object-oriented high-level computer programming language, extended from Pascal and other languages...
), and is currently used both in the domain of compilation
Compiler
A compiler is a computer program that transforms source code written in a programming language into another computer language...
. The non-deterministic features include an Earley parser generator used for natural language processing
Natural language processing
Natural language processing is a field of computer science and linguistics concerned with the interactions between computers and human languages; it began as a branch of artificial intelligence....
. Parsers generated by SYNTAX include powerful error recovery mechanisms, and allow the execution of semantic actions and attribute evaluation on the abstract tree or on the shared parse forest.
Contextual parsing
The current version of SYNTAX (version 6.0 beta) includes also parser generators for other formalisms, used for natural language processing as well as bio-informatics. These formalisms are context-sensitive formalisms (TAGTree-adjoining grammar
Tree-adjoining grammar is a grammar formalism defined by Aravind Joshi. Tree-adjoining grammars are somewhat similar to context-free grammars, but the elementary unit of rewriting is the tree rather than the symbol...
, RCG) or formalisms that rely on context-free grammars and are extended thanks to attribute evaluation, in particular for natural language processing (LFG
Lexical functional grammar
Lexical functional grammar is a grammar framework in theoretical linguistics, a variety of generative grammar. It is a type of phrase structure grammar, as opposed to a dependency grammar. The development of the theory was initiated by Joan Bresnan and Ronald Kaplan in the 1970s, in reaction to...
).