[antlr-interest] Complementing ANTLR with parboiled

[Mathias]

Gentlemen,

looking through the archives of this list it seems that many questions come from people trying to get started with ANTLR with a relatively "small" application in mind. ANTLR, being the full-featured enterprise tool it is, might not always be the right solution for all of these parsing needs.

I would like to point your attention to a relatively new open-source parsing library for Java 5+ that might be a nice addition to your existing set of Java parsing tools and complement ANTLR in a few scenarios, where a more light-weight parsing solution is sufficient:
parboiled (http://www.parboiled.org)

parboiled implements a recursive-descent PEG parser with a number of interesting features:
- Grammar definition right in Java source, retaining full IDE support
- No special syntax, no external files, no additional build steps
- Scannerless (i.e. no separate lexer phase)
- Unique support for powerful inline action expressions
- Excellent parse error reporting and recovery
- Fully type-safe
- Well documented
- Comes with a number of examples, including a complete Java5 parser
- Very lightweight (one 250Kb JAR with no further dependencies)

Most parboiled users find it very easy to use and integrate, without the steep learning curve of many traditional parser generators.

Maybe some of you find it worth a look...

Cheers,
Mathias

PS: Of course any feedback with regard to the general parboiled approach or the specific implementation is very much appreciated!

---
mathias at parboiled.org
http://www.parboiled.org