[Gambas-user] Gambas language specification

[John Leake]

It is difficult to have a wider discussion on this forum without being
accused of being off topic or having to elucidate to the n'th degree why
I would want to take a particular view or stance. So I have raised one
or two pertinent subjects to assist my plans which have not received any
response.

On 20/09/14 19:01, Tobias Boege wrote:
> On Sat, 20 Sep 2014, John Leake wrote:
>> Anyone know when the parser and compiler were last generated ?
>>
> 
> What makes you so sure that the sources are generated? I don't know the
> compiler at all (!) but these sources look hand-written, everywhere.

I am not sure at all.  It is just the right thing to do.  I do not know
any modern language that has achieved recognised standardisation by
independent bodies that did not use the formal approach to compiler design.

> 
> When I said "to produce [ bison/flex sources ] in less than a week", I
> meant to originally write them.
>

First, I am not looking to replace the compiler but I am looking for the
true syntax of the language and its grammar. If the compiler was not
generated from a formal specification then it is pretty pointless to
create the formal specification in retrospect and generate parsers or
whatever from that specification.