The Synthesizer Generator

This book is a detailed account of the Synthesizer Generator, a system for creat ing specialized editors that are customized for editing particular languages. The book is intended for those with an interest in software tools and in methods for building interactive systems. It is a must for people who are using the Syn thesizer Generator to build editors because it provides extensive discussions of how to write editor specifications. The book should also be valuable for people who are building specialized editors "by hand," without using an editor generating tool. The need to manage the development of large software systems is one of the most pressing problems faced by computer programmers. An important aspect of this problem is the design of new tools to aid interactive program develop ment. The Synthesizer Generator permits one to create specialized editors that are tailored for editing a particular language. In program editors built with the Synthesizer Generator, knowledge about the language is used to continuously assess whether a program contains errors and to determine where such errors occur. The information is then displayed on the terminal screen to provide feed back to the programmer as the program is developed and modified.

Klappentext

The Synthesizer Generator: A System for Constructing Language-Based Editors presents a detailed account of the Synthesizer Generator, a system for automating the construction of customized editors for particular languages. The unique feature of the Synthesizer Generator is its use of an immediate-computation paradigm to perform analysis, translation, and error reporting while an object is being edited. With the Synthesizer Generator one can create programming language environments that incrementally parse, type-check, and compile a program as it is interactively developed. The use of the system is not restricted to programming languages; editors for logics, specification languages, and verification languages can be created as well. The specification language of the Synthesizer Generator is based on the attribute-grammar concept, which plays a major role in the way compiler construction is taught today. For this reason, the Synthesizer Generator is ideal for use in course projects and should be of particular interest to those involved in compiler construction. The Synthesizer Generator is also intended for readers with an interest in software tools and methods for building interactive systems. More than just a user guide for the system, the book contains a wealth of material for those building specialized editors "by hand", without using an editor-generating tool; it discusses the issues that motivated the decisions made in the design of the system, as well as a number of the algorithms used in the system's implementation. TOC:Contents: Introduction.- Demonstration of a Sample Editor.- The Attribute-Grammar Model of Editing.- Specification of a Sample Editor.- Lists, Optional Elements, and Placeholders.- Defining Hybrid Editors with the Synthesizer Generator.- Performing Static Inferences with Attributes.- Practical Advice.- Generating Code Using Attributes.- Interactive Program Verification.- The Implementation.- Incremental Attributive Evaluation for Ordered Attribute Grammars.- Syntax of SSL.- Invoking the Synthesizer Generator.- Abbreviated List of Editor Commands.- Keyboards, Displays, Window Systems, and Mice.- Bibliography.- Index.

Inhalt

Contents: Introduction.- Demonstration of a Sample Editor.- The Attribute-Grammar Model of Editing.- Specification of a Sample Editor.- Lists, Optional Elements, and Placeholders.- Defining Hybrid Editors with the Synthesizer Generator.- Performing Static Inferences with Attributes.- Practical Advice.- Generating Code Using Attributes.- Interactive Program Verification.- The Implementation.- Incremental Attributive Evaluation for Ordered Attribute Grammars.- Syntax of SSL.- Invoking the Synthesizer Generator.- Abbreviated List of Editor Commands.- Keyboards, Displays, Window Systems, and Mice.- Bibliography.- Index.