Tim Bunce wrote:
Thinking in terms of grammars, I'd ask the question: could grammars be
used to match tree-like data structures? I think the current answer is no.
Grammars are too tightly bound to the concept of a position in a linear
string.
But I have a nagging suspicion that this is a very powerful idea.
Applying the expressive power of a grammar-like mechanism to
search, backtrack, and match within a tree-like data structure.
Is this new or has anyone discussed it before?
A little in "Iterating over complex structures":
http://www.nntp.perl.org/group/perl.perl6.language/2005/12/msg24362.html
The papers I linked to in that thread have gone, but are archived:
http://web.archive.org/web/20060622001438/http://cnds.ucd.ie/~cetus/home/publications.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20060831221346/cnds.ucd.ie/~cetus/PhD/NS-thesis-final.pdf
I share that intuition that something cool is lurking here...
Brad
--
When one is not capable of true intelligence, it is good to consult with
someone of good sense. -- Hagakure http://bereft.net/hagakure/
