PL/SQL Parser (Front End)
The PL/SQL parser (front end) enables the construction of PL/SQL custom compilers, analysis tools, or source transformation tools. It is a member of SD's family of language front ends, based on first-class infrastructure (DMS) for implementing such custom tools. The PL/SQL front end includes:
- Lexical analysis including ASCII and ISO 8859-1
- Conversion of literal values (numbers, escaped strings) into native values to enable easy computation over literal values
- String literals represented internally in Unicode to support 16-bit characters
- Explicit grammar implements Oracle's PL/SQL language
- Automatic construction of complete abstract syntax tree
- Capture of comments and formats (shape) of literal values
- Ability to parse large systems of files into same workspace, enabling interprocedural and cross-file analysis/transformation
- Ability to parse different languages into same workspace, enabling cross-language analysis/transformation
- Facilities to process syntax trees
- Complete procedural API to visit/query/update/construct/print syntax trees
- Source regeneration by prettyprinting and/or fidelity printing of syntax trees with comments and lexical formats
- Automatically generated source-to-source transformation system
- Ability to define custom attribute-grammar-based analyzers
- Available as source code to enable complete customization
- Means to manage multiple language dialects with highly shared common core
- 10g
- 11g under development
- Earlier dialects on demand
- Robustness due to careful testing and application across many customers
Many of these facilities come as a consistent consequence of the front end being built to top of DMS.
Here are some sample tools (many offered by SD as products) built using the PL/SQL front end:
- Source Code Search Engine
- Source Formatter
- Obfuscator
- Test Coverage
- Duplicate Code Detection and removal
SD also offers:
- SQL parser (front end)
Your organization may use DMS with the PL/SQL front end to implement and deploy your own custom tools. The sample tools can be obtained in source form as part of the PL/SQL front end for customization. Semantic Designs is also willing to build custom tools under contract.
