Lex and Yacc

Lex & Yacc scanning and parsing tools automate the process of translating user input. Lex builds a lexical analyser, a C, C++, or Borland Pascal function that takes a stream of input and breaks it up into tokens according to the rules you specify. YACC builds a parser, a C, C++, or Turbo Pascal function that takes a stream of tokens (such as those provided by MKS LEX) and matches them against the grammar you provide. Lex & Yacc includes the new Yacc Tracker, an interactive trace facility for MKS YACC-generated parsers. It also includes a new symbol table tutorial and example code, a sample code generator, and on-line manual pages.

How Lex and Yacc can help

Lex & Yacc Scanning and Parsing Tools

Do you need powerful compiler construction tools? Do you need to better automate the processing and translation of user input? Do you need tools to help you build language translators or database query languages? Does your ideal solution integrate with your development environment?

MKS Lex & Yacc is the answer

For software development professionals, any tool that makes the job easier is a valuable commodity. MKS Lex & Yacc simplifies the development of interpretive and analytical software such as customized compilers and parsers. By automating complex processes like user input translation, MKS Lex & Yacc provides valuable aid to those who write compilers, database query languages and text processing applications. This allows developers to concentrate more on creativity, and spend less time on the monotony of lexical analysis and grammar matching. Together, the MKS Lexical scanner and MKS Yacc parser generators form a powerful program generation tool which processes any language specification you provide into usable C, C++, or Borland Turbo Pascal code.

Typical Uses

MKS Lex & Yacc can be used to build: - compiler front ends (scanning and parsing phase of compilation) - interpreters for interpreted languages; for example, the calculator component of a spreadsheet, a report generator - language translators - "little languages" such as database query languages and page description languages Interoperability MKS Lex & Yacc is fully compatible with lex and yacc on UNIX System V and BSD UNIX. The grammars and generated code are portable between DOS, OS/2, Windows NT, and UNIX systems. MKS Lex & Yacc is available for DOS, OS/2, and Windows NT.

Lex and Yacc features

Integrated with Microsoft Visual Studio

MKS Lex & Yacc includes a Microsoft Visual Studio Add-in which allows you to develop robust scanners and parsers directly within the Visual Stidio IDE. Include Lex and Yacc source files and build rules in VC++ projects along with traditional C and C++ sources and resources.

Generate code for Windows applications

MKS Lex & Yacc can now generate code for Windows applications. The scanner and parser tables created by MKS Lex & Yacc can be created as loadable resources, which means a much more efficient use of memory under Windows.