[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

RE: [lojban] the formal grammars' utility

In a message dated 7/14/2001 8:18:28 PM Central Daylight Time, 
a.rosta@dtn.ntl.com writes:


> No, the index lists for each phrase the phrases it occurs within, but
> it doesn't tell us whereabouts in the YACC grammar text itself the
> rule can be found; one has to flick through the pages hunting fairly
> randomly.
> 
Not quite randomly; the pieces come in long blocks which are then jumbled 
together in no apparent order (and no explanation for the 
higgledy-pigglediness): 
501-725 on pages 513-516
905-1025 pp 516-7
0-499 pp 517-533
801-824 pp 533-5
905-1101 (dodging earlier 9xx) 533-542



--part1_12a.16c9538.28825646_alt_boundary
Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"><FONT SIZE=2>In a message dated 7/14/2001 8:18:28 PM Central Daylight Time, 
<BR>a.rosta@dtn.ntl.com writes:
<BR>
<BR>
<BR><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">No, the index lists for each phrase the phrases it occurs within, but
<BR>it doesn't tell us whereabouts in the YACC grammar text itself the
<BR>rule can be found; one has to flick through the pages hunting fairly
<BR>randomly.
<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BR>Not quite randomly; the pieces come in long blocks which are then jumbled 
<BR>together in no apparent order (and no explanation for the 
<BR>higgledy-pigglediness): 
<BR>501-725 on pages 513-516
<BR>905-1025 pp 516-7
<BR>0-499 pp 517-533
<BR>801-824 pp 533-5
<BR>905-1101 (dodging earlier 9xx) 533-542
<BR>
<BR></FONT></HTML>

--part1_12a.16c9538.28825646_alt_boundary--
--- Begin Message --- 
Lojbab:
> At 04:40 PM 07/14/2001 +0100, And Rosta wrote:
> >1. What use is the EBNF grammar, given that it can't be used instead of
> >YACC?
> 
> Some people find it easier to understand than the YACC grammar because the 
> rules are compressed into a more language-grammar-like form.

Am I mistaken in thinking that the EBNF in the book contains less info
than the YACC? For instance, trying to answer my own question of earlier 
today about DOI, I find that "vocative415 = (COI [NAI])...& DOI", but
find nothing about the expansion of DOI, whereas I do find this info
under vocative_35 and DOI_415 in YACC.

> >2. Is there a downloadable version of YACC ordered alphabetically (or
> >in any way such that one knows whereabouts in the rule list to find the
> >expansion for a given node)?
> 
> The YACC grammar in the Book has an index that provides this.

No, the index lists for each phrase the phrases it occurs within, but
it doesn't tell us whereabouts in the YACC grammar text itself the
rule can be found; one has to flick through the pages hunting fairly
randomly.

> >3. Has anybody created a more succinct but unabbreviated (and, ideally,
> >more intuitive) version of the YACC grammar?
> 
> You just said why people use the EBNF. If the YACC grammar could be more 
> succinct, we would. The EBNF covers the whole language, so it is more 
> succinct and unabbreviated. Its weakness is that it is not proven 
> equivalent to the YACC, so mistakes in obscure places could still surface.

I thought I understood EBNF, but as I said above I don't grock how it is
unabbreviated.

--And.

To unsubscribe, send mail to lojban-unsubscribe@onelist.com 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

--- End Message ---