Core language description now available as PDF

[Objective Modula-2]

Following popular request, I have converted and reformatted the plain
text file describing the Modula-2 R10 dialect into a PDF document. The
PDF file is available at:

http://modula2.net/resources/M2R10.pdf

[Chris Burrows]

Post by Objective Modula-2
Following popular request, I have converted and reformatted the plain
text file describing the Modula-2 R10 dialect into a PDF document. The
http://modula2.net/resources/M2R10.pdf

I clearly recall how valuable the 'railroad diagrams' from the J & W Pascal
User Manual and Report were to me when initially learning the language. I
guess it is along the lines of 'a picture is worth a thousand words'.

If you are interested in also representing your syntax in this graphical
form I recommend a neat tool called 'EBNF Visualizer' by Stefan
Schoergenhumer and Markus Dopler (supported by Hanspeter Moessenboeck) at
the University of Linz:

http://dotnet.jku.at/applications/Visualizer/

We used it with great effect to create the Oberon-07 Syntax Diagrams as part
of the development of Astrobe:

http://www.cfbsoftware.com/astrobe/Oberon-07.aspx

Regards,
Chris Burrows

CFB Software
http://www.cfbsoftware.com

[Objective Modula-2]

Post by Chris Burrows
I clearly recall how valuable the 'railroad diagrams' from the J & W Pascal
User Manual and Report were to me when initially learning the language. I
guess it is along the lines of 'a picture is worth a thousand words'.

Fair enough. I have put up a zip file (2.1 MB) with all railroad
diagrams in EPS format at:

http://modula2.net/resources/M2R10_Syntax_Diagrams.zip


You can also download the grammar (ANTLR forma) from the public
repository at:

http://bitbucket.org/trijezdci/m2r10stdlib/src/tip/_GRAMMAR/Modula2.g

and visualise them as railroad or DFA diagrams using ANTLRworks,
available from:

http://www.antlr.org/works/index.html

The ANTRLworks download (3 MB) is significantly smaller than all the
diagrams when converted to TIFF or PNG images in any decent
resolution.

Post by Chris Burrows
http://www.cfbsoftware.com/astrobe/Oberon-07.aspx

I tried to look at that but have no idea how to open or convert CHM
files.

[Chris Burrows]

Post by Objective Modula-2
I tried to look at that but have no idea how to open or convert CHM

files.

OK - thanks for pointing that out. CHM files are Windows Compiled HTML
format Help files. The file is actually part of the Astrobe distribution. It
is a convenient way of indexing and distributing all the html files and
images associated with the syntax diagrams in one package instead of filling
the end-user's folders with hundreds of files.

I've now updated the page so that you can also access the syntax diagrams
online either as an overview or as individual cross-referenced (uses / used
by) items:

http://www.cfbsoftware.com/astrobe/Oberon-07.aspx

[Marco van de Voort]

Post by Objective Modula-2

Post by Objective Modula-2
I tried to look at that but have no idea how to open or convert CHM

files.
OK - thanks for pointing that out. CHM files are Windows Compiled HTML
format Help files.

On *nix you might want to look for kchmviewer/gnochm/xchm viewers.

Some of them probably have OS X equivalents, if that is your poison.

Note that these viewers can't display all CHM files. Some are stuffed top
till bottom with MSIE specific contraptions.

Post by Objective Modula-2
The file is actually part of the Astrobe distribution. It is a convenient
way of indexing and distributing all the html files and images associated
with the syntax diagrams in one package instead of filling the end-user's
folders with hundreds of files.

The CHM concept was good. Shame that MS stopped fixing bugs so soon (and
then still shipped two major OS versions with it)

[Marco van de Voort]

Post by Chris Burrows

Post by Objective Modula-2
Following popular request, I have converted and reformatted the plain
text file describing the Modula-2 R10 dialect into a PDF document. The
http://modula2.net/resources/M2R10.pdf

I clearly recall how valuable the 'railroad diagrams' from the J & W Pascal
User Manual and Report were to me when initially learning the language. I
guess it is along the lines of 'a picture is worth a thousand words'.
If you are interested in also representing your syntax in this graphical
form I recommend a neat tool called 'EBNF Visualizer' by Stefan
Schoergenhumer and Markus Dopler (supported by Hanspeter Moessenboeck) at

Or, if using something TeX based, have a look at package "syn"

e.g. here you can see the result:

http://www.freepascal.org/docs-html/ref/refsu46.html#x120-12700010.2.2

Not as perfect as commercial, specialized tools, but quite ok.