/// \page using Using the ANTLR3 C Target /// /// \section intro Introduction /// /// Using the ANTLR target involves gaining knowledge of a number of elements: /// /// -# Writing ANTLR grammars (not covered in this manual); /// -# How ANTLR works (not covered in this manual); /// -# How to use the \@sections with the C target /// -# Interoperation with the runtime within rule actions; /// -# Implementing custom versions of the standard library methods; /// /// If you are as yet unfamiliar with how ANTLR works in general, then /// it is suggested that you read the various wiki pages concerned with /// getting started. However there are a few things that you should note: /// /// - The lexer is independent of the parser. You \b cannot control the lexer from within the parser; /// - The tree parser is independent of the parser. You \b cannot control the parser from within the tree parser(s); /// - Each tree parser is independent of other tree parsers. /// /// This means that your lexer runs first and consumes all the input stream until /// you stop it programmatically, or it reaches the end of the input stream. It produces /// a complete stream of tokens, which the parser then consumes. /// /// \section Using \@sections in a C Targeted Grammar /// /// Within a grammar file there are a number of special sections you can add that cause the /// code within them to be placed at strategic points in the generated code such as /// before or after the #include statements in the .c file, within the generated header file /// or within the constructor for the recognizer. /// /// Many of the \@sections used within a Java targeted grammar have some equivalent function within a /// C targeted grammar, but their use may well be subtly different. There are also additional sections /// that have meaning only within a grammar targeted for the C runtime. /// /// Detailed documentation of these sections is given here: \subpage atsections /// /// \section interop Interoperation Within Rule Actions /// /// Rule actions have a limited number of elements they can access by name, independently of the /// target language generated. These are elements such as $line, $pos, $text and so on. Where the /// $xxx returns a basic type such as \c int, then you can use these in C as you would in the Java /// target, but where a reference returns a string, you will get a pointer to the C runtime /// string implementation #pANTLR3_STRING. This will give you access to things like token text /// but also provides some convenience methods such as #pANTLR3_STRING->substring() and #pANTLR3_STRING->toUTF8(). /// /// The generated code provides a number of C MACROs, which make it easier to access runtime /// components. Always use these macros when available, to protect your action code from changes /// to the underlying implementation. /// /// Detailed documentation of macros and rule action interoperation is given here: \subpage interop /// /// \section Custom Implementing Customized Methods /// /// Unless you wish to create your own tree structures using the built in ANTLR AST rewriting /// notation, you will rarely need to override the default implementation of runtime methods. The /// exception to this will be the syntax err reporting method, which is essentially a stub function /// that you will usually want to provide your own implementation for. You should consider the built in function /// displayRecognitionError() as an example of where to start as there can be no really useful /// generic error message display. /// ///