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Precedences in specifications and implementations of programming languages

  • Session: Compiler Construction II
  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Programming Language Implementation and Logic Programming (PLILP 1991)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 528))

Abstract

Although precedences are often used to resolve ambiguities in programming language descriptions, there has been no parser-independent definition of languages which are generated by grammars with precedence rules. This paper gives such a definition for a subclass of context-free grammars.

A problem with a language containing infix, prefix and postfix operators of different precedences is that the well-known algorithm, which transforms a grammar with infix operator precedences to an ordinary unambiguous context-free grammar, does not work. This paper gives an algorithm that works also for prefix and postfix operators. An application of the algorithm is also presented.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programming Methodology Group, Dept. of Computer Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, S-412 96, Göteborg, Sweden

    Annika Aasa

Authors
  1. Annika Aasa
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Editor information

Jan Maluszyński Martin Wirsing

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© 1991 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Aasa, A. (1991). Precedences in specifications and implementations of programming languages. In: Maluszyński, J., Wirsing, M. (eds) Programming Language Implementation and Logic Programming. PLILP 1991. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 528. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-54444-5_98

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-54444-5_98

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-54444-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-38362-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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