JavaCC
| Stable release | 5.0
/ August 31, 2009 |
|---|---|
| Repository | |
| Platform | Java Virtual Machine |
| Type | parser/scanner generator |
| License | BSD |
| Website | java javacc |
JavaCC (Java Compiler Compiler) is an open source parser generator and lexical analyzer generator for the Java programming language. JavaCC is similar to yacc in that it generates a parser from a formal grammar written in EBNF notation, except the output is Java source code. Unlike yacc, however, JavaCC generates top-down parsers, which limits it to the LL(k) class of grammars (in particular, left recursion cannot be used). JavaCC also generates lexical analyzers in a fashion similar to lex. The tree builder that accompanies it, JJTree, constructs its trees from the bottom up.
JavaCC is licensed under a BSD license.
History
In 1996, Sun Microsystems released a parser generator called Jack. The developers responsible for Jack created their own company called Metamata and changed the Jack name to JavaCC. Metamata eventually became part of WebGain. After WebGain shut down its operations, JavaCC was moved to its current home.
Where is it used?
Here is a non-comprehensive list of software built using JavaCC:
