[fpc-devel] Coco/R usage for FPC

[Michael Van Canneyt]

On Tue, 26 Jan 2010, Graeme Geldenhuys wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Speaking of language syntax in another thread it got me thinking.
> Being around FPC for a few years now I have read many messages and saw
> patches regarding language extensions etc...
>
> Then today by pure accident while searching for Modula-2 if..then..end
> syntax I came across this page:
>
>  http://www.scifac.ru.ac.za/coco/
>
> Coco/R ( a compiler generator). A language syntax is described in a
> rather simple manner. You then feed this information into a program
> and it generates a parser and scanner.  The above URL mentions
> versions available for Modula-2, Pascal, Delphi and many more...
>
> Students from the Rhodes University used Coco/R to create a new
> teaching language based on Modula-2. They called in Umbriel, and used
> Coco/R.
>
>  http://scifac.ru.ac.za/cspt/sigplan.htm
>
> I gather FPC doesn't use something like this?  If so, any specific
> reason why not? It seems like a very easy way to extend the language
> though. Simply describe the syntax and another program generates the
> code.

Mainly because it's very inefficient, has little useful error reporting
and requires yet another tool.

Also, when the compiler was created, Coco/R didn't exist yet.

and I'm sure Florian can think of some more arguments :-)

Michael.