Building Parsers with Java™

2.6. Composite Parsers

Every parser is either a terminal or a composite. A terminal is a parser that recognizes all or part of a string without using other parsers. For example, a terminal might check that the next word in a string is "hello". A composite parser is a parser that accomplishes its task by using other parsers. The three fundamental ways to compose parsers are repetition, sequence, and alternation.

2.6.1. Repetition

Like a tree that is composed of other trees and leaves, a composite typically contains several subcomponents. A repetition contains only one component: another parser that the repetition applies repeatedly against an assembly to recognize. Figure 2.9 shows this structure.

Figure 2.9. The Repetition class. Composites usually ...