JavaCC (Java Compiler Compiler) is an
open-source
Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open-source model is a decentralized sof ...
parser generator
In computer science, a compiler-compiler or compiler generator is a programming tool that creates a parser, interpreter, or compiler from some form of formal description of a programming language and machine.
The most common type of compiler- ...
and
lexical analyzer generator written in the
Java programming language
Java is a high-level, class-based, object-oriented programming language that is designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. It is a general-purpose programming language intended to let programmers ''write once, run an ...
.
JavaCC is similar to
yacc
Yacc (Yet Another Compiler-Compiler) is a computer program for the Unix operating system developed by Stephen C. Johnson. It is a Look Ahead Left-to-Right Rightmost Derivation (LALR) parser generator, generating a LALR parser (the part of a comp ...
in that it generates a
parser
Parsing, syntax analysis, or syntactic analysis is the process of analyzing a string of symbols, either in natural language, computer languages or data structures, conforming to the rules of a formal grammar. The term ''parsing'' comes from Lati ...
from a
formal grammar
In formal language theory, a grammar (when the context is not given, often called a formal grammar for clarity) describes how to form strings from a language's alphabet that are valid according to the language's syntax. A grammar does not describe ...
written in
EBNF notation. Unlike yacc, however, JavaCC generates top-down parsers. JavaCC can resolve choices based on the next ''k'' input tokens, and so can handle
LL(''k'') grammars automatically; by use of "lookahead specifications", it can also resolve choices requiring unbounded look ahead. JavaCC also generates lexical analyzers in a fashion similar to
lex. The tree builder that accompanies it, JJTree, constructs its trees from the bottom up.
JavaCC is licensed under a
BSD license
BSD licenses are a family of permissive free software licenses, imposing minimal restrictions on the use and distribution of covered software. This is in contrast to copyleft licenses, which have share-alike requirements. The original BSD li ...
.
History
In 1996,
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Sun for short) was an American technology company that sold computers, computer components, software, and information technology services and created the Java programming language, the Solaris operating system, ZFS, ...
released a parser generator called ''Jack''. The developers responsible for ''Jack'' created their own company called Metamata and changed the ''Jack'' name to JavaCC. Metamata eventually became part of
WebGain. After WebGain shut down its operations, JavaCC was moved to its current home.
Uses
Software built using JavaCC includes:
*
Apache Derby
Apache Derby (previously distributed as IBM Cloudscape) is a relational database management system (RDBMS) developed by the Apache Software Foundation that can be embedded in Java programs and used for online transaction processing. It has a 3. ...
*
BeanShell
BeanShell is a small, free, embeddable Java source interpreter with object scripting language features, written in Java. It runs in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), dynamically executes standard Java syntax and extends it with common scripting c ...
*
FreeMarker
*
PMD
*
Vaadin Vaadin () is an open-source web application development platform for Java. Vaadin includes a set of Web Components, a Java web framework, and a set of tools that enable developers to implement modern web graphical user interfaces (GUI) using the Jav ...
*
Apache Lucene
Apache Lucene is a free and open-source software, free and open-source Search engine (computing), search engine Library (computing), software library, originally written in Java (programming language), Java by Doug Cutting. It is supported by the ...
*
JavaParser
*
Judoscript
See also
*
ANTLR
In computer-based language recognition, ANTLR (pronounced ''antler''), or ANother Tool for Language Recognition, is a parser generator that uses LL(*) for parsing. ANTLR is the successor to the Purdue Compiler Construction Tool Set (PCCTS), fir ...
*
SableCC
*
Coco/R
*
parboiled
Parboiling (or leaching) is the partial or semi boiling of food as the first step in cooking. The word is from the Old French 'parboillir' (to boil thoroughly) but by mistaken association with 'part' it has acquired its current meaning.
The wo ...
References
External links
*{{Official website
Java Compiler Compiler (JavaCC) - The Java Parser GeneratorJavaCC's New Official Website by April 2017JavaCC TutorialJavaCC FAQA JavaCC book - Generating Parsers with JavaCC
Parser generators
Java development tools
Free software programmed in Java (programming language)
Software using the BSD license