Scribd
Upload
201 views9 pages

Left Recursion

The document discusses techniques for rewriting context-free grammars to remove left-recursion and left-factoring. It describes: 1) Rewriting productions with common prefixes, such as if-statements, to remove left-factoring. 2) Rewriting productions with the form A → Aα or A → Aα1|Aα2 to remove direct left-recursion by moving the recursive term to the right side. 3) A multi-step process to remove indirect left-recursion by recursively applying the direct left-recursion rewriting rules.

Uploaded by

Priyanka Bose
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
201 views9 pages

Left Recursion

The document discusses techniques for rewriting context-free grammars to remove left-recursion and left-factoring. It describes: 1) Rewriting productions with common prefixes, such as if-statements, to remove left-factoring. 2) Rewriting productions with the form A → Aα or A → Aα1|Aα2 to remove direct left-recursion by moving the recursive term to the right side. 3) A multi-step process to remove indirect left-recursion by recursively applying the direct left-recursion rewriting rules.

Uploaded by

Priyanka Bose
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 9

Left-factoring and left-recursion removal

Left-factoring and left-recursion removal


Ian J. Hayes

April 2, 2012

April 2, 2012

1/1

Left-factoring and left-recursion removal

Left factoring productions

Left factoring grammar productions

Productions such as IfStmt if ( Cond ) Stmt | if ( Cond ) Stmt else Stmt

are not suitable for recursive descent parsing with a single symbol look-ahead because the two alternatives share a common prex. One can rewrite the production as follows. IfStmt ElsePart if ( Cond ) Stmt ElsePart | else Stmt

April 2, 2012

2/1

Left-factoring and left-recursion removal

Left factoring productions

Left factor rewriting rule

To remove the left factor from A | one can rewrite the production as follows. A A A |

April 2, 2012

3/1

Left-factoring and left-recursion removal

Removing left recursion

Removing left recursion from grammars


A production of the form E E + T |T is not suitable for recursive descent parsing because the left recursion in the grammar leads to an innite recursion in the parsing program. In terms of T , the above production matches sequences of the form T, T + T, T + T + T, ... i.e., a T followed by zero or more occurrences of +T . The grammar can be rewritten to E E
April 2, 2012

T E |+T E
4/1

Left-factoring and left-recursion removal

Removing left recursion

Immediate left recursion (simple) rewriting rule

To remove the left recursion from A A| which matches a followed by zero or more occurrences of , one can rewrite the production as follows. A A A |A

April 2, 2012

5/1

Left-factoring and left-recursion removal

Removing left recursion

Immediate left recursion (general) rewriting rule


The general case for direct left recursion has the form: A A 1 | A 2 | . . . | A n | 1 | 2 | . . . | m We use grouping to see the structure in the same form as the simple case: A A (1 | 2 | . . . | n ) | (1 | 2 | . . . | m ) and rewrite the production as follows, A (1 | 2 | . . . | m ) A A | (1 | 2 | . . . | n ) A or without the grouping as follows. A 1 A | 2 A | . . . | m A A | 1 A | 2 A | . . . | n A
April 2, 2012 6/1

Left-factoring and left-recursion removal

Removing left recursion

Indirect left recursion rewriting rule


Left recursion may be indirect, e.g., A A 1 | B 2 B B 1 | C 2 C A 1 | 2 The rewriting for indirect left recursion takes multiple steps. First we remove the direct left recursions for A and B. A A B B C B 2 A | 1 A C 2 B | 1 B A 1 | 2

April 2, 2012

7/1

Left-factoring and left-recursion removal

Removing left recursion

... Indirect left recursion rewriting rule


Next replace the occurrence of B in the rst production by its denition and remove the (no longer used) production for B. A A B C C 2 B 2 A | 1 A | 1 B A 1 | 2

Then the occurrence of C by its denition and remove C. A A B (A 1 | 2 ) 2 B 2 A | 1 A | 1 B

April 2, 2012

8/1

Left-factoring and left-recursion removal

Removing left recursion

... Indirect left recursion rewriting rule

Removing the grouping from A exposes a direct left recursion in A A A 1 2 B 2 A | 2 2 B 2 A which we remove. A A A B 2 2 B 2 A A | 1 2 B 2 A A | 1 A | 1 B

April 2, 2012

9/1

You might also like