BISON(1) UNIX System V (local) BISON(1)
NAME
bison - GNU Project parser generator (yacc replacement)
SYNOPSIS
bison [ -b file-prefix ] [ --file-prefix=file-prefix ] [ -d
] [ --defines ] [ -k ] [ --token-table ] [ -l ] [ --no-lines
] [ -n ] [ --no-parser ] [ -o outfile ] [ --output-
file=outfile ] [ -p prefix ] [ --name-prefix=prefix ] [ -r ]
[ --raw ] [ -t ] [ --debug ] [ -v ] [ --verbose ] [ -V ] [
--version ] [ -y ] [ --yacc ] [ -h ] [ --help ] [ --fixed-
output-files ] file
DESCRIPTION
Bison is a parser generator in the style of yacc(1). It
should be upwardly compatible with input files designed for
yacc.
Input files should follow the yacc convention of ending in
.y. Unlike yacc, the generated files do not have fixed
names, but instead use the prefix of the input file. For
instance, a grammar description file named parse.y would
produce the generated parser in a file named parse.tab.c,
instead of yacc's y.tab.c.
This description of the options that can be given to bison
is adapted from the node Invocation in the bison.texinfo
manual, which should be taken as authoritative.
Bison supports both traditional single-letter options and
mnemonic long option names. Long option names are indicated
with -- instead of -. Abbreviations for option names are
allowed as long as they are unique. When a long option
takes an argument, like --file-prefix, connect the option
name and the argument with =.
OPTIONS
-b file-prefix
--file-prefix=file-prefix
Specify a prefix to use for all bison output file
names. The names are chosen as if the input file were
named file-prefix.c.
-d
--defines
Write an extra output file containing macro definitions
for the token type names defined in the grammar and the
semantic value type YYSTYPE, as well as a few extern
variable declarations.
If the parser output file is named name.c then this
file is named name.h.
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This output file is essential if you wish to put the
definition of yylex in a separate source file, because
yylex needs to be able to refer to token type codes and
the variable yylval.
-r
--raw
The token numbers in the name.h file are usually the
Yacc compatible translations. If this switch is
specified, Bison token numbers are output instead.
(Yacc numbers start at 257 except for single character
tokens; Bison assigns token numbers sequentially for
all tokens starting at 3.)
-k
--token-table
This switch causes the name.tab.c output to include a
list of token names in order by their token numbers;
this is defined in the array yytname. Also generated
are #defines for YYNTOKENS, YYNNTS, YYNRULES, and
YYNSTATES.
-l
--no-lines
Don't put any #line preprocessor commands in the parser
file. Ordinarily bison puts them in the parser file so
that the C compiler and debuggers will associate errors
with your source file, the grammar file. This option
causes them to associate errors with the parser file,
treating it an independent source file in its own
right.
-n
--no-parser
Do not generate the parser code into the output;
generate only declarations. The generated name.tab.c
file will have only constant declarations. In
addition, a name.act file is generated containing a
switch statement body containing all the translated
actions.
-o outfile
--output-file=outfile
Specify the name outfile for the parser file.
The other output files' names are constructed from
outfile as described under the -v and -d switches.
-p prefix
--name-prefix=prefix
Rename the external symbols used in the parser so that
they start with prefix instead of yy. The precise list
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of symbols renamed is yyparse, yylex, yyerror, yylval,
yychar, and yydebug.
For example, if you use -p c, the names become cparse,
clex, and so on.
-t
--debug
Output a definition of the macro YYDEBUG into the
parser file, so that the debugging facilities are
compiled.
-v
--verbose
Write an extra output file containing verbose
descriptions of the parser states and what is done for
each type of look-ahead token in that state.
This file also describes all the conflicts, both those
resolved by operator precedence and the unresolved
ones.
The file's name is made by removing .tab.c or .c from
the parser output file name, and adding .output
instead.
Therefore, if the input file is foo.y, then the parser
file is called foo.tab.c by default. As a consequence,
the verbose output file is called foo.output.
-V
--version
Print the version number of bison and exit.
-h
--help
Print a summary of the options to bison and exit.
-y
--yacc
--fixed-output-files
Equivalent to -o y.tab.c; the parser output file is
called y.tab.c, and the other outputs are called
y.output and y.tab.h. The purpose of this switch is to
imitate yacc's output file name conventions. Thus, the
following shell script can substitute for yacc:
bison -y $*
The long-named options can be introduced with `+' as well as
`--', for compatibility with previous releases. Eventually
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support for `+' will be removed, because it is incompatible
with the POSIX.2 standard.
FILES
/usr/local/lib/bison.simple simple parser
/usr/local/lib/bison.hairy complicated parser
SEE ALSO
yacc(1)
The Bison Reference Manual, included as the file
bison.texinfo in the bison source distribution.
DIAGNOSTICS
Self explanatory.
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