How to read this manual

This manual is intended to be both a book and easily browsable reference. First few sections are intended for readers new to Alpag. Further sections are topic-oriented, suitable for both continuous reading as well as easy look up of information on particular feature or option.

The manual is organized as follows:

• Introduction contains some basic information on lexer and parser generation in general. Readers familiar with lexer and parser generation concepts can safely skip this section.
• First steps describes all actions necessary to create a working lexer and parser from scratch. It covers defining input grammars, launching Alpag, inspecting generated results and integrating code into target application.
• Input file format section describes format of files used to define input grammars. It is a reference section. It does not contain in-depth explanation of particular features but complete documentation of the format.
• Lexer and Parser sections contain in-depth description of individual mechanisms of lexers and parses. Individual subsections explain particular features, providing both theoretical background, as well as practical hints and examples. These chapters are must-read for intermediate and advanced Alpag user. Suitable for both easy reading and quick lookup.
• Integration section discusses combining lexer and parser, and integrating them in the application.
• Examples contains examples of configuration and code, which provide better view of interoperation of particular features.
• Remaining sections like Options reference contain supplementary information.

If you are a first-time user, and want to quickly start working with Alpag, go straight to First steps section. Don’t forget about reading Lexer and Parser sections in the future.

Individual chapters may contain informative paragraphs like:

Warnings on well-known pitfalls.

Hints, worthy noting.

Side notes and comments.