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LEX

The document provides an overview of the LEX tool, which is used to create lexical analyzers through a set of regular expressions and corresponding actions. It describes the structure of a Lex program, including sections for declarations, translation rules, and auxiliary procedures, and explains how the lexical analyzer interacts with a parser. Additionally, it outlines key actions and variables used in LEX, such as yytext(), yywrap(), and yyleng().

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Subramanian R
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9 views3 pages

LEX

The document provides an overview of the LEX tool, which is used to create lexical analyzers through a set of regular expressions and corresponding actions. It describes the structure of a Lex program, including sections for declarations, translation rules, and auxiliary procedures, and explains how the lexical analyzer interacts with a parser. Additionally, it outlines key actions and variables used in LEX, such as yytext(), yywrap(), and yyleng().

Uploaded by

Subramanian R
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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R.V.S COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, DINDIGUL.

LEX
 A LEX source program is a requirement of a lexical analyzer, consisting of a set of regular
expressions together with an action for each regular expression.
 The action is a part of code which is to be executed when a token specified by the equivalent regular
expression is recognized.
 LEX is a tool generally used to specify lexical analyzers for a variety of languages.
 LEX tool require a Lex compiler, specification for the LEX tool is the Lex language.
Using a Scanner Generator: Lex
 Lex is a lexical analyzer generator developed by Lesk and Schmidt of AT&T Bell Lab, written in C,
running under UNIX.
 Lex produces an entire scanner module that can be compiled and linked with other compiler modules.
 Lex associates regular expressions with arbitrary code fragments. When an expression is matched,
the code segment is executed.
 A typical lex program contains three sections separated by %% delimiters.
Role of LEX:

Creating a lexical analyzer with Lex (or) Specification of LEX


A Lex program (the lex.l file) consists of three parts:
%{
auxiliary declarations
%}
regular definitions
%%
translation rules
%%
auxiliary procedures
Declarations section:
It includes declarations of variables, manifest constants (A manifest constant is an identifier
that is declared to represent a constant e.g. # define PIE 3.14), the files to be included and definitions of
regular expressions.

CS3501 – COMPILER DESIGN


R.V.S COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, DINDIGUL.

Transition rules section:


The translation rules of a Lex program are statements of the form:

 Where each P1is a regular expression called a pattern, over the alphabet consisting of Σ and the
auxiliary definition names. The patterns describe the form of the tokens.
 Each action 1is a program fragment describing what action the lexical analyzer should take when
token P’s found. The actions are written in a conventional programming language, rather than any
particular language, we use pseudo language.
 To create the lexical analyzer L, each of the actions must be compiled into machine code.
Auxiliary procedures:
The third section holds whatever auxiliary procedures are needed by the actions. Alternatively,
these procedures can be compiled separately and loaded with the lexical analyzer. The auxiliary procedures
are written in C language.

How does this Lexical analyzer work?


 The lexical analyzer created by Lex behaves in concert with a parser in the following manner. When
activated by the parser, the lexical analyzer begins reading its remaining input, one character at a
time, until it has found the longest prefix of the input that is matched by one of the regular
expressions p.
 Then it executes the corresponding action. Typically, the action will return control to the parser.
However, if it does not, then the lexical analyzer proceeds to find more lexemes, until an action
causes control to return to the parser. The repeated search for lexemes until an explicit return allows
the lexical analyzer to process white space and comments conveniently.
 The lexical analyzer returns a single quantity, the token, to the parser. To pass an attribute value with
information about the lexeme, we can set the global variable yylval.
LEX Actions
 yytext() is a variable that is a pointer to the first character of the lexeme.
 yywrap() yywrap is called when lexical analyzer reach end of file. It yywrap returns a then lexical
analyzer continue scanning. When yywrap return 1 means end of file is encountered.
 yyleng() is an integer telling how long the lexeme is.
 yyin() –It is used to read the source program from file and then stored in yyin.

CS3501 – COMPILER DESIGN


R.V.S COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, DINDIGUL.

Input:
Enter Some string
Rohini College of Engineering and Technology
Output:
RECT

CS3501 – COMPILER DESIGN

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