[bison.git] / doc / bison.x

[name]
bison \- GNU Project parser generator (yacc replacement)

[description]
.I Bison
is a parser generator in the style of
.IR yacc (1).
It should be upwardly compatible with input files designed
for
.IR yacc .
.PP
Input files should follow the
.I yacc
convention of ending in
.BR .y .
Unlike
.IR yacc ,
the generated files do not have fixed names, but instead use the prefix
of the input file.
Moreover, if you need to put
.I C++
code in the input file, you can end his name by a C++-like extension
(.ypp or .y++), then bison will follow your extension to name the
output file (.cpp or .c++).
For instance, a grammar description file named
.B parse.yxx
would produce the generated parser in a file named
.BR parse.tab.cxx ,
instead of
.IR yacc 's
.B y.tab.c
or old
.I Bison
version's
.BR parse.tab.c .
.PP
This description of the options that can be given to
.I bison
is adapted from the node
.B Invocation
in the
.B bison.texinfo
manual, which should be taken as authoritative.
.PP
.I Bison
supports both traditional single-letter options and mnemonic long
option names.  Long option names are indicated with
.B \-\-
instead of
.BR \- .
Abbreviations for option names are allowed as long as they
are unique.  When a long option takes an argument, like
.BR \-\-file-prefix ,
connect the option name and the argument with
.BR = .
Commit	Line	Data
727a1401 AD	1	[name]
	2	bison \- GNU Project parser generator (yacc replacement)
	3
	4	[description]
	5	.I Bison
	6	is a parser generator in the style of
	7	.IR yacc (1).
	8	It should be upwardly compatible with input files designed
	9	for
	10	.IR yacc .
	11	.PP
	12	Input files should follow the
	13	.I yacc
	14	convention of ending in
	15	.BR .y .
	16	Unlike
	17	.IR yacc ,
	18	the generated files do not have fixed names, but instead use the prefix
	19	of the input file.
	20	Moreover, if you need to put
	21	.I C++
	22	code in the input file, you can end his name by a C++-like extension
	23	(.ypp or .y++), then bison will follow your extension to name the
	24	output file (.cpp or .c++).
	25	For instance, a grammar description file named
	26	.B parse.yxx
	27	would produce the generated parser in a file named
	28	.BR parse.tab.cxx ,
	29	instead of
	30	.IR yacc 's
	31	.B y.tab.c
	32	or old
	33	.I Bison
	34	version's
	35	.BR parse.tab.c .
	36	.PP
	37	This description of the options that can be given to
	38	.I bison
	39	is adapted from the node
	40	.B Invocation
	41	in the
	42	.B bison.texinfo
	43	manual, which should be taken as authoritative.
	44	.PP
	45	.I Bison
	46	supports both traditional single-letter options and mnemonic long
	47	option names. Long option names are indicated with
	48	.B \-\-
	49	instead of
	50	.BR \- .
	51	Abbreviations for option names are allowed as long as they
	52	are unique. When a long option takes an argument, like
	53	.BR \-\-file-prefix ,
	54	connect the option name and the argument with
	55	.BR = .