A cross-platform implementation of the AutoIt language

[water]

1 hour ago, TheDcoder said:

I am planning to write a document which describes the syntax of the language

Isn't this called "AutoIt help file"

[TheDcoder]

36 minutes ago, argumentum said:

SciTE has external files that loaded determine the syntax for a given language. Maybe you can use that. 

That is a good suggestion, I did not think of it, thanks. However my guess is that it does not fully comprehend or account for all the possible syntax variations, just the basics like identifying operators, variables, function etc.

...And potentially all that might work on basis of RegEx, god forbid if that is the case

Maybe @Jos can shed some light on this?

[TheDcoder]

32 minutes ago, water said:

Isn't this called "AutoIt help file"

You are right. I could have used better words. What I wanted to say is was that I will make a complete technical reference for the whole language syntax, maybe even including some BNF notation!

There are two purposes of me wanting to do this:

1. I want to understand the syntax better as a whole and break it into parts
2. It will serve as a good reference for both me and other people who want to work with my project or with the AutoIt syntax in their own project

So everyone please send me anything they have which can help me in this matter! Maybe the AutoIt Dev team has some informal text about this lying somewhere? I bet there is a "test script" which was in use when AutoIt v3 was in development, however it might be buried deep after all these years. I would love to get my hands on them

[jchd]

A formal grammar definition is way more useful than any code sample, whatever it may be.

[TheDcoder]

@jchd Oh wouldn't I love to get my hands on a formal grammer definition. But alas, the chances for such a thing to exist are bleek... let alone the chances for me to get it

Hopefully my effort will improve the situation in this regard.

[argumentum]

4 minutes ago, TheDcoder said:

formal grammer definition

I had no clue but here ..  https://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Introduction_to_Programming_Languages/Grammars 
I feel so uncultured right now  

[jchd]

I remind having done some work long ago but it isn't complete nor fully suitable for the task.  I also have a vague plan to make that more solid in view of a development I have in mind, but I need time to work on this and time is something I don't have many suppliers.

[TheDcoder]

@argumentum Looks like a good read, but it does not describe how to actually write the grammer of a language. Still it might come in handy, thanks.

I am already familiar with the lingo of formal format specification documents, as I have read several IETF RFCs... primarily those related to IRC

[Jos]

30 minutes ago, TheDcoder said:

That is a good suggestion, I did not think of it, thanks. However my guess is that it does not fully comprehend or account for all the possible syntax variations, just the basics like identifying operators, variables, function etc.

...And potentially all that might work on basis of RegEx, god forbid if that is the case

Maybe @Jos can shed some light on this?

The files only provide the names of the Functions/Macros/keywords etc to the Lexer I wrote. The AU3Lexer does all the hard work to determine based on its internal logic and the provided table of different keywords, to "understand" the language syntax.

Hope that makes sense?

Jos 

Edited September 15, 2019 by Jos

[TheDcoder]

2 minutes ago, jchd said:

I remind having done some work long ago but it isn't complete nor fully suitable for the task.

Great to hear that, I would love to see your existing work... even if it is not complete or fully suitable for the task.

3 minutes ago, jchd said:

I also have a vague plan to make that more solid in view of a development I have in mind, but I need time to work on this and time is something I don't have many suppliers. 

I wish you luck!

[jchd]

Whish me time rather.

[Jos]

Just now, jchd said:

Whish me time rather.

Time is simply a matter of setting priorities.  

Jos

[TheDcoder]

@Jos That does make sense, thanks. Your lexer sounds good. I know that it is very selfish of me to ask this, but if this request is not too much of a bother for you, can you list the names of the files which contain this lexer and other keyword data in SciTE?

4 minutes ago, jchd said:

Whish me time rather.

I wish you a lot of time!... and the same for me too

Edited September 15, 2019 by TheDcoder

[Jos]

3 minutes ago, TheDcoder said:

@Jos That does make sense, thanks. Your lexer sounds good. I know that it is very selfish of me to ask this, but if this request is not too much of a bother for you, can you list the names of the files which contain this lexer and other keyword data in SciTE?

The Lexer source itself is file lexau3.cxx, but that doesn't help you that much as it uses the Scintilla foundation in which it is build. scintilla call's the lexer for the functions you want to perform being the Syntax Coloring/Highlighting or the Folding.  The files used by the Lexer are

• au3.properties which in turn loads:
  • au3.keywords.properties
  • autoit3wrapper.keywords.properties
  • au3.keywords.abbreviations

for all the different lexer option tables keywords?.$(au3).

Jos

[TheDcoder]

@Jos Thank you very much.

I did not expect the lexer to be an actual compiled module of the SciTE program. I will make do with the property/data files for now

[Jos]

Au3check is using a stand-alone lexer based on FLEX & YACC, which is also the reason why, with each syntax changes, we're in trouble as it was written by @tylo who isn't around anymore since a good number of years.

Jos

[jchd]

Yet another reason why it would be good thing to have one we fully master.

[TheDcoder]

@Jos Oh, that is interesting! YACC as I understand, takes grammer input which is similar to BNF, this could be useful. Any chance that I/we can get access to the grammer input for Au3check's lexer?

[Jos]

I am fine with making it public and sharing it on Github, which would also allow others to make modifications to it as my brain has issues handling it at times.
.. but it is up to @Jon to say Yea or Nee to that.

Jos 

[TheDcoder]

@Jos Thanks, I appriciate it. I hope Jon sees this and gives the "Yea"