[antlr-interest] ANTLR v4 status / website functionality moving forward - Ruby Target ?

[Sam Harwell]

This is pretty accurate for where I am, although ANTLRWorks 2 isn't holding
back the process so much as working on the v4 runtime itself. If I port the
runtime to C# (or others) before it's complete, then keeping all the
runtimes in sync is cumbersome and prone to errors. Some of the algorithms
and many sections of the documentation are not quite finalized.

I'll be basing my port(s) of ANTLR 4 on my optimized fork of the Java
runtime since it includes some additional internal features necessary for my
professional work. Since tree parsers and StringTemplate integration were
removed from v4, the runtime has a somewhat smaller overall feature set to
implement in the ports. The most challenging part *by far* will be the
handling the concurrency requirements of my optimized branch. .NET 3.5+
definitely includes the necessary class library support to make this
straightforward, but other languages like C++ are going to be very
challenging.

For the C++ port, definitely expect a dependency on Boost's Thread library.
The necessary concurrent sets and maps will be based on a highly concurrent
B+-tree implementation I built last year. I would also expect the initial
version to use some C++11 features.

--
Sam Harwell
Owner, Lead Developer
http://tunnelvisionlabs.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Eric [mailto:researcher0x00 at gmail.com] 
Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2012 8:28 AM
To: Martin Van Aken
Cc: antlr ANTLR; Christophe Philemotte
Subject: Re: [antlr-interest] ANTLR v4 status / website functionality moving
forward - Ruby Target ?

Hi Martin,

As you probably know, but for the benefit of others, each conversion of
ANTLR to another grammar typically done by an individual on their own
personal time.

Java is the only grammar version created by and maintained by Ter.

The C version, by Jim Idle, is very actively maintained and supported here.

The C# 3 version was done by Sam Harwell, and while he would like to
maintain it, he is working on an advanced degree and ANTLR Works 2, so C# 3
is in an on again off again mode, and Sam has stated that he does plan to
get back to it, but last I heard from him a few months ago, don't expect
anything on ANTLR 4.x C#  this year and even first quarter next year.

As you also know, the other versions are either attempts that were never
completed, completed but not fully tested, working but not maintained past a
few versions, etc.

The last version I know of that someone created without having done one
before was the C++ version. That person left several key notes in the post
here several months back so that is where I would start. I tried to search
antlr.markmail.org for the post but C++ search is returning C post also.

The big question is, will you be doing a 3.4.x version or a new 4.x version.

If you are doing a 3.4.x you will have to dig into StringTemplate as that is
used to generate the source code files. Beyond that I can't help. I once did
a lot of work on the C#2 version, but that was many years ago and that
knowledge has lost its value.

The new ANTLR 4.x version is a different beast from what little I have
worked with it.

Low on my list is to do a ANTLR 4.x F# target, more for the AST
transformations than the lexing and parsing, but right now I am focused on a
different project so that may never see the light of day.

My best advice is to go for it and ask questions here. Others who have done
targets will give you what advise they can. I can say that doing one puts
you a different level of understanding how ANTLR works.

Best wishes, Eric

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