I am trying to create a very simple parser for an if-else type structure that will build and execute a SQL statement.
Rather than testing conditions for executing statements, I would be testing conditions to build a string.
An example of a statment would be:
select column1
from
#if(VariableA = Case1)
table1
#else if(VariableA = Case2)
table2
#else
defaultTable
#end
If VariableA equals Case1 the resulting string should be: select column1 from table1
A more complex example would be with nested if statements:
select column1
from
#if(VariableA = Case1)
#if(VariableB = Case3)
table3
#else
table4
#else if(VariableA = Case2)
table2
#else
defaultTable
#end
This is where I am really having trouble, I can't think of a good way to identify each if-else-end group correctly.
Also, I'm not sure what a good way to keep track of if the string in the "else" clause should evaluate to true.
I have been looking around the net at different types of parsing algorithms, all of them seeming very abstract and complex.
Are there any suggestions of a good place to start for this non-computer science major?
I wrote a simple parser, which I tested against the example you provided. If you want to know more about parsing I suggest you to read Compiler Construction from Niklaus Wirth.
The first step is always to write down the syntax of your language in an appropriate way. I have chosen EBNF, which is very simple to understand.
| separates alternatives.
[ and ] enclose options.
{ and } denote repetitions (zero, one or more).
( and ) group expressions (not used here).
This description is not complete but the link I provided describes it in more detail.
The EBNF syntax
LineSequence = { TextLine | IfStatement }.
TextLine = <string>.
IfStatement = IfLine LineSequence { ElseIfLine LineSequence } [ ElseLine LineSequence ] EndLine.
IfLine = "#if" "(" Condition ")".
ElseLine = "#else".
ElseIfLine = "#else" "if" "(" Condition ")".
EndLine = "#end".
Condition = Identifier "=" Identifier.
Identifier = <letter_or_underline> { <letter_or_underline> | <digit> }.
The parser follows closely the syntax, i.e. a repetition is translated into a loop, an alternative into an if-else statement, and so on.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace Example.SqlPreprocessor
{
class Parser
{
enum Symbol
{
None,
LPar,
RPar,
Equals,
Text,
NumberIf,
If,
NumberElse,
NumberEnd,
Identifier
}
List<string> _input; // Raw SQL with preprocessor directives.
int _currentLineIndex = 0;
// Simulates variables used in conditions
Dictionary<string, string> _variableValues = new Dictionary<string, string> {
{ "VariableA", "Case1" },
{ "VariableB", "CaseX" }
};
Symbol _sy; // Current symbol.
string _string; // Identifier or text line;
Queue<string> _textQueue = new Queue<string>(); // Buffered text parts of a single line.
int _lineNo; // Current line number for error messages.
string _line; // Current line for error messages.
/// <summary>
/// Get the next line from the input.
/// </summary>
/// <returns>Input line or null if no more lines are available.</returns>
string GetLine()
{
if (_currentLineIndex >= _input.Count) {
return null;
}
_line = _input[_currentLineIndex++];
_lineNo = _currentLineIndex;
return _line;
}
/// <summary>
/// Get the next symbol from the input stream and stores it in _sy.
/// </summary>
void GetSy()
{
string s;
if (_textQueue.Count > 0) { // Buffered text parts available, use one from these.
s = _textQueue.Dequeue();
switch (s.ToLower()) {
case "(":
_sy = Symbol.LPar;
break;
case ")":
_sy = Symbol.RPar;
break;
case "=":
_sy = Symbol.Equals;
break;
case "if":
_sy = Symbol.If;
break;
default:
_sy = Symbol.Identifier;
_string = s;
break;
}
return;
}
// Get next line from input.
s = GetLine();
if (s == null) {
_sy = Symbol.None;
return;
}
s = s.Trim(' ', '\t');
if (s[0] == '#') { // We have a preprocessor directive.
// Split the line in order to be able get its symbols.
string[] parts = Regex.Split(s, @"\b|[^#_a-zA-Z0-9()=]");
// parts[0] = #
// parts[1] = if, else, end
switch (parts[1].ToLower()) {
case "if":
_sy = Symbol.NumberIf;
break;
case "else":
_sy = Symbol.NumberElse;
break;
case "end":
_sy = Symbol.NumberEnd;
break;
default:
Error("Invalid symbol #{0}", parts[1]);
break;
}
// Store the remaining parts for later.
for (int i = 2; i < parts.Length; i++) {
string part = parts[i].Trim(' ', '\t');
if (part != "") {
_textQueue.Enqueue(part);
}
}
} else { // We have an ordinary SQL text line.
_sy = Symbol.Text;
_string = s;
}
}
void Error(string message, params object[] args)
{
// Make sure parsing stops here
_sy = Symbol.None;
_textQueue.Clear();
_input.Clear();
message = String.Format(message, args) +
String.Format(" in line {0}\r\n\r\n{1}", _lineNo, _line);
Output("------");
Output(message);
MessageBox.Show(message, "Error");
}
/// <summary>
/// Writes the processed line to a (simulated) output stream.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="line">Line to be written to output</param>
void Output(string line)
{
Console.WriteLine(line);
}
/// <summary>
/// Starts the parsing process.
/// </summary>
public void Parse()
{
// Simulate an input stream.
_input = new List<string> {
"select column1",
"from",
"#if(VariableA = Case1)",
" #if(VariableB = Case3)",
" table3",
" #else",
" table4",
" #end",
"#else if(VariableA = Case2)",
" table2",
"#else",
" defaultTable",
"#end"
};
// Clear previous parsing
_textQueue.Clear();
_currentLineIndex = 0;
// Get first symbol and start parsing
GetSy();
if (LineSequence(true)) { // Finished parsing successfully.
//TODO: Do something with the generated SQL
} else { // Error encountered.
Output("*** ABORTED ***");
}
}
// The following methods parse according the the EBNF syntax.
bool LineSequence(bool writeOutput)
{
// EBNF: LineSequence = { TextLine | IfStatement }.
while (_sy == Symbol.Text || _sy == Symbol.NumberIf) {
if (_sy == Symbol.Text) {
if (!TextLine(writeOutput)) {
return false;
}
} else { // _sy == Symbol.NumberIf
if (!IfStatement(writeOutput)) {
return false;
}
}
}
return true;
}
bool TextLine(bool writeOutput)
{
// EBNF: TextLine = <string>.
if (writeOutput) {
Output(_string);
}
GetSy();
return true;
}
bool IfStatement(bool writeOutput)
{
// EBNF: IfStatement = IfLine LineSequence { ElseIfLine LineSequence } [ ElseLine LineSequence ] EndLine.
bool result;
if (IfLine(out result) && LineSequence(writeOutput && result)) {
writeOutput &= !result; // Only one section can produce an output.
while (_sy == Symbol.NumberElse) {
GetSy();
if (_sy == Symbol.If) { // We have an #else if
if (!ElseIfLine(out result)) {
return false;
}
if (!LineSequence(writeOutput && result)) {
return false;
}
writeOutput &= !result; // Only one section can produce an output.
} else { // We have a simple #else
if (!LineSequence(writeOutput)) {
return false;
}
break; // We can have only one #else statement.
}
}
if (_sy != Symbol.NumberEnd) {
Error("'#end' expected");
return false;
}
GetSy();
return true;
}
return false;
}
bool IfLine(out bool result)
{
// EBNF: IfLine = "#if" "(" Condition ")".
result = false;
GetSy();
if (_sy != Symbol.LPar) {
Error("'(' expected");
return false;
}
GetSy();
if (!Condition(out result)) {
return false;
}
if (_sy != Symbol.RPar) {
Error("')' expected");
return false;
}
GetSy();
return true;
}
private bool Condition(out bool result)
{
// EBNF: Condition = Identifier "=" Identifier.
string variable;
string expectedValue;
string variableValue;
result = false;
// Identifier "=" Identifier
if (_sy != Symbol.Identifier) {
Error("Identifier expected");
return false;
}
variable = _string; // The first identifier is a variable.
GetSy();
if (_sy != Symbol.Equals) {
Error("'=' expected");
return false;
}
GetSy();
if (_sy != Symbol.Identifier) {
Error("Value expected");
return false;
}
expectedValue = _string; // The second identifier is a value.
// Search the variable
if (_variableValues.TryGetValue(variable, out variableValue)) {
result = variableValue == expectedValue; // Perform the comparison.
} else {
Error("Variable '{0}' not found", variable);
return false;
}
GetSy();
return true;
}
bool ElseIfLine(out bool result)
{
// EBNF: ElseIfLine = "#else" "if" "(" Condition ")".
result = false;
GetSy(); // "#else" already processed here, we are only called if the symbol is "if"
if (_sy != Symbol.LPar) {
Error("'(' expected");
return false;
}
GetSy();
if (!Condition(out result)) {
return false;
}
if (_sy != Symbol.RPar) {
Error("')' expected");
return false;
}
GetSy();
return true;
}
}
}
Note that the nested if-statements are processed automatically in a quite natural way. First, the grammar is expressed recursively. A LineSequence can contain IfStatments and IfStatments contain LineSequences. Second, this results in syntax processing methods that call each other in a recursive manner. The nesting of syntax elements is therefore translated into recursive method calls.
Take a look at Irony:
Irony is a development kit for implementing languages on .NET
platform. Unlike most existing yacc/lex-style solutions Irony does not
employ any scanner or parser code generation from grammar
specifications written in a specialized meta-language. In Irony the
target language grammar is coded directly in c# using operator
overloading to express grammar constructs. Irony's scanner and parser
modules use the grammar encoded as c# class to control the parsing
process. See the expression grammar sample for an example of grammar
definition in c# class, and using it in a working parser.
I recommend you use an existing code generator like ... C# or T4 templates or ASP.NET MVC partial views.
But if you want to do this yourself you need some kind of recursion (or a stack which is equivalent). It could work like this:
string BuildCode(string str)
{
foreach(Match ifMatch in Regex.Matches("#if(?<condition>[^\n\r]*)[\r\n]*(?<body>.*?)#endif)
{
var condition = ifMatch.Groups["condition"].Value;
return EvaluateCondition(condition) ? BuildCode(ifMatch.Value) : null;
}
}
This is pseudo-code. You need to think through this yourself. This also does not support an else branch but you can add that easily.
Here is a new answer: Use the CodeDom to compile a C# function. You can use the ful power of C# but have the C# code stored in a database or so. That way you don't have to redeploy.
