Defining syntax using CFGs

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Leon Holt
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1 Defining syntax using CFGs

2 Roadmap Last 8me Defined context-free grammar This 8me CFGs for syntax design Language membership List grammars Resolving ambiguity

3 CFG Review G = (N,Σ,P,S) means derives derives in 1 or more steps CFG generates a string by applying produc8ons un8l no non-terminals remain Example: Nested parens N = { Q } Σ = { (, ) } P = Q ( Q ) ε S = Q

4 Formal CFG Language Defini8on Let G= (N,Σ,P,S) be a CFG. Then L(G) = w S + w where S is the start nonterminal of G w is a sequence of terminals or ε

5 CFGs as Language Defini8on CFG produc8ons define the syntax of a language 1. Prog begin end 2. semicolon Stmt 3. Stmt 4. Stmt id assign 5. id 6. plus id We call this nota8on BNF or extended BNF HTTP grammar using BNF: hrp://

6 List Grammars Useful to repeat a structure arbitrarily oyen semicolon Stmt Stmt ; Stmt List skews lec ; Stmt ; Stmt ; Stmt

7 List Grammars Useful to repeat a structure arbitrarily oyen Stmt semicolon Stmt Stmt ; Stmt ; List skews right Stmt ; Stmt ;

8 List Grammars What if we allowed both skews? semicolon Stmt ; ; ; Stmt ;

9 Deriva8on Order LeYmost Deriva8on: always expand the leymost nonterminal Rightmost Deriva8on: always expand the rightmost nonterminal 1. Prog begin end 2. semicolon Stmt 3. Stmt 4. Stmt id assign 5. id 6. plus id begin LeCmost expands this nonterminal Prog semicolon end Stmt Rightmost expands this nonterminal

10 Ambiguity Even with a fixed deriva8on order, it is possible to derive the same string in mul8ple ways For Grammar G and string w G is ambiguous if >1 leymost deriva8on of w >1 rightmost deriva8on of w > 1 parse tree for w

11 Example: Ambiguous Grammars minus 6mes Derive the string 4-7 * 3 (assume tokenizaron) lparen rparen Parse Tree 1 Parse Tree 2 minus 6mes 6mes minus

12 Why is Ambiguity Bad? Eventually, we ll be using CFGs as the basis for our parser Parsing is much easier when there is no ambiguity in the grammar The parse tree may mismatch user understanding! 4-7 * 3 Operator precedence minus 6mes 6mes minus

13 Resolving Grammar Ambiguity: Precedence minus 6mes lparen rparen Intui8ve problem Context-freeness Nonterminals are the same for both operators To fix precedence 1 nonterminal per precedence level Parse lowest level first

14 Resolving Grammar Ambiguity: Precedence minus 6mes lparen rparen lowest precedence level first 1 nonterm per precedence level Derive the string 4-7 * 3 minus minus 6mes Factor Factor lparen rparen Factor 4 Factor 7 6mes Factor 3

15 Resolving Grammar Ambiguity: Precedence Fixed Grammar minus 6mes Factor Factor lparen rparen Derive the string 4-7 * 3 Let s try to re-build the wrong parse tree 6mes minus Factor 6mes 4 Factor 7 Factor 3 We ll never be able to derive minus without parens Factor 3

16 Did we fix all ambiguity? Fixed Grammar minus 6mes Factor Factor lparen rparen Derive the string minus Factor minus Factor Factor NO! These subtrees could have been swapped!

17 Where we are so far Precedence We want correct behavior on 4 7 * 9 A new nonterminal for each precedence level Associa8vity We want correct behavior on Minus should be le: associa<ve: a b c = (a b) c Problem: the recursion in a rule like minus

18 Defini8on: Recursion in Grammars A grammar is recursive in (nonterminal) X if X + αxγ for non-empty strings of symbols α and γ A grammar is le:-recursive in X if X + Xγ for non-empty string of symbols γ A grammar is right-recursive in X if X + αx for non-empty string of symbols α

19 Resolving Grammar Ambiguity: Associa8vity Recognize ley-assoc operators with ley-associa8ve produc8ons Recognize right-assoc operators with right-associa8ve produc8ons minus Factor 6mes Factor Factor lparen rparen Example: E E - E - T T F F 7 4 T F 9

20 Resolving Grammar Ambiguity: AssociaRvity minus 6mes Factor Factor Factor lparen rparen E Example: Let s try to re-build the wrong parse tree again E - T T F 4 We ll never be able to derive minus without parens

21 Example Language of Boolean expressions bexp TRUE FALSE bexp OR bexp bexp AND bexp NOT bexp LPAREN bexp RPAREN Add nonterminals so that OR has lowest precedence, then AND, then NOT. Then change the grammar to reflect the fact that both AND and OR are ley associa8ve. Draw a parse tree for the expression: true AND NOT true

22 Another ambiguous example Stmt if Cond then Stmt if Cond then Stmt else Stmt Consider this word in this grammar: if a then if b then s else s2 How would you derive it?

23 Summary To understand how a parser works, we start by understanding context-free grammars, which are used to define the language recognized by the parser. terminal symbol (non)terminal symbol grammar rule (or produc8on) deriva8on (leymost deriva8on, rightmost deriva8on) parse (or deriva8on) tree the language defined by a grammar ambiguous grammar

Defining syntax using CFGs

Defining syntax using CFGs Roadmap Last time Defined context-free grammar This time CFGs for specifying a language s syntax Language membership List grammars Resolving ambiguity CFG Review G = (N,Σ,P,S)