BNF representation of the java 1.5 langauge?

[Tom Forsmo]

Does anybody know if there is an BNF or similar description of the java
language available out there? I am looking to improve my java
development environment (Emacs with Jdee), and I thought a good solution
to improving it is by adding support for real-time syntax parsing of the
code.

So any hints?

tom

 

[djthomp]

Does anybody know if there is an BNF or similar description of the java
language available out there? I am looking to improve my java
development environment (Emacs with Jdee), and I thought a good solution
to improving it is by adding support for real-time syntax parsing of the
code.

So any hints?

You might try
http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/syntax.html

 

[Oliver Wong]

Does anybody know if there is an BNF or similar description of the java
language available out there? I am looking to improve my java development
environment (Emacs with Jdee), and I thought a good solution to improving
it is by adding support for real-time syntax parsing of the code.

So any hints?

Yes, these BNF descriptions are typically refered to as "grammars", so
googling for "java grammar" gives me about 5 different BNF-like
representations of the Java language. I don't know which format you/emacs
prefers. http://cobase-www.cs.ucla.edu/pub/javacc/ is in JavaCC format, for
example.

- Oliver

 

[mouser]

Yes, these BNF descriptions are typically refered to as "grammars", so
googling for "java grammar" gives me about 5 different BNF-like
representations of the Java language.

And I'd like to thank you VERY much for pointing ME in the proper direction.
I've just started in the last month or two trying to learn Java
programming; and it's quite a steep learning curve! I've looked at a lot of
books that tell me what to do WITH the language, (and some are more useful
than others), but I hadn't until now encountered a book or tutorial that
could tell me what Java IS. (Yes, I DO have the Sun documentation handy,
but there's such a LOT of that, one hardly knows where to start...)

Again, thanks for the tipoff!

 

[Oliver Wong]

And I'd like to thank you VERY much for pointing ME in the proper
direction.
I've just started in the last month or two trying to learn Java
programming; and it's quite a steep learning curve! I've looked at a lot
of
books that tell me what to do WITH the language, (and some are more useful
than others), but I hadn't until now encountered a book or tutorial that
could tell me what Java IS. (Yes, I DO have the Sun documentation handy,
but there's such a LOT of that, one hardly knows where to start...)

You're welcome, but if you can learn programming languages by reading
their grammars, then... wow! Usually when I want to learn a new language
(right now I'm trying to learn Haskell), I'd google for "Haskell Tutorials"
or "Learn Haskell" or something similar.

- Oliver

 

[mouser]

Oliver Wong wrote:

You're welcome, but if you can learn programming languages by reading
their grammars, then... wow!

No, I don't intend for the grammar to be my sole instruction source. I've
got all the Java tutorials (including the ones in the Sun documentation)
and a pair of programming books (Ivor Horton's BEGINNING JAVA2 and a link
to THINKING IN JAVA). But the grammar is a good supplement to the how-to
books and tutorials.

Doubtless, I would have found it EVENTUALLY in the Sun documentation
package, but your note was a handy shortcut.

 

[Vitaly]

At
http://www.antlr.org/
you will find the Java grammar ready for use.