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From: hassey@dg-rtp.dg.com (John Hassey)
Newsgroups: comp.compilers
Subject: re: yacc grammar for cobol
Keywords: cobol, parse, yacc
Message-ID: <9101251517.AA01465@bigbird.rtp.dg.com>
Date: 25 Jan 91 15:17:40 GMT
References: <1991Jan22.142741.6471@informatik.uni-erlangen.de>
Sender: compilers-sender@iecc.cambridge.ma.us
Reply-To: hassey@dg-rtp.dg.com (John Hassey)
Organization: Compilers Central
Lines: 21
Approved: compilers@iecc.cambridge.ma.us


    Yes it is possible to write a yacc parser for Cobol.  We did
    just that for a re-implementation of Interactive Cobol for
    our AViiON systems.  The original compiler contained a simple
    top-down recursive parser.

    The main problems we ran into were not in creating a LALR 
    grammar, but with yacc limitations.  The number of terminals, and
    parser states had to be expanded.  We also used lex, but replaced
    the standard input() routines so that we could deal with continuation
    lines and such.

    I've requested permission to release our grammar, but so far
    no luck.


John Hassey		hassey@dg-rtp.DG.COM or ...!mcnc!rti!xyzzy!hassey
Data General Corp.	Research Triangle Park	NC, 27709
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