[antlr-interest] Faster expression parsing

[Ramon Verbruggen]

Hi all,

I am looking to upgrade our parser from ANTLR 3.0.1 to 3.3 (or 3.3.1 when the new C backend is included).

In 2008 there was some talk about faster expression parsing and in http://www.antlr.org/wiki/display/~admin/2008/04/10/Still+more+about+expression+parsing Terence states 'ANTLR v3.2 will allow special rules for specifying expressions that are particularly efficient both in speed and space'.

I cannot actually remember seeing any of this show up in the release notes, or being talked about again (I did search the markmail archives)

Does ANTLR 3.3 include this faster expression parsing?
If so, is it implemented by specifying some sort of table of operators, precedences and associativity, or is this implemented by a more programmatic approach as described by Sam Harwell in http://antlr.org/wiki/display/ANTLR3/Operator+precedence+parser ?

Best regards,

Ramon Verbruggen