Parsing Techniques: A Practical Guide (Monographs in Computer Science) [Hardcover]

Dick Grune (Author), Ceriel Jacobs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 28, 2007 | ISBN-10: 038720248X | ISBN-13: 978-0387202488 | Edition: 2nd

This second edition of Grune and Jacobs’ brilliant work presents new developments and discoveries that have been made in the field. Parsing, also referred to as syntax analysis, has been and continues to be an essential part of computer science and linguistics. Parsing techniques have grown considerably in importance, both in computer science, ie. advanced compilers often use general CF parsers, and computational linguistics where such parsers are the only option. They are used in a variety of software products including Web browsers, interpreters in computer devices, and data compression programs; and they are used extensively in linguistics.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Parsing, also referred to as syntax analysis, has been and continues to be an essential part of computer science and linguistics. Today, parsing is also applied in other disciplines; some examples are document preparation and conversion, chemical formulae typesetting, and chromosome recognition. In addition to the traditional parsing techniques, this second edition presents new developments and discoveries: generalized deterministic parsing, linear-time substring parsing, parallel parsing, parsing as intersection, non-canonical methods, non-Chomsky systems, and many more. Parsing techniques provide a solid basis for compiler construction and linguistics, and contribute to all existing software: they enable Web browsers to analyze HTML pages and PostScript printers to analyze PostScript, and some of the more advanced techniques are used in code generation in compilers and in data compression. Also their importance as general pattern recognizers is slowly being acknowledged. To provide readers with low-threshold access to the full field of parsing techniques, this book uses a two-tiered structure. The basic ideas behind the existing parsing techniques are explained in an intuitive and narrative style, starting from the first principles of data structures and algorithms; this provides breadth and accessibility. The hundreds of realizations and improvements of these basic ideas are explained in an extensive annotated bibliography, in a much terser, yet still informal style; this provides depth. The reader should have an understanding of algorithmic thinking, especially recursion; however, knowledge of any particular programming language is not required.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 662 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 2nd edition (November 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038720248X
• ISBN-13: 978-0387202488
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.6 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #261,735 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The clearest, most comprehensive survey of the field, January 26, 2008

By 

Joshua Haberman (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Parsing Techniques: A Practical Guide (Monographs in Computer Science) (Hardcover)

I have spent the last six months of my life learning as much as I can about parsing. I own half a shelf of compiler books, and I have flipped through the pages of half a shelf more.

No other book approaches the clarity and comprehensiveness of this book.

When you try to read most literature about parsing, authors tend to throw around a lot of terms without explaining them. What exactly is a "deterministic" parser, a "canonical" parser, a "directional" parser? Grune and Jacobs explain every one of these distinctions lucidly, and put all known algorithms in context of how they compare to the rest of the field. How do the algorithms compare in what languages they can parse, how fast they are, and how much of the work can be done ahead of time? The book addresses all of these trade-offs, but doesn't stop at asymptotic complexity: in chapter 17 (the comparative survey), they note that general parsers may be a factor of ten or so slower than deterministic methods, even though both are linear. This high-level overview and comparative survey are something I was desperately seeking, and I've found nothing comparable to them anywhere.

There is also a lot of important background information that other authors tend to assume you know: for example, did you know that when authors say "LL" they almost always mean "strong LL" unless they specifically say "full LL?" Are you totally clear on the difference between strong LL, simple LL, and full LL? If you're not sure, Grune and Jacobs will give you all the explanation you need to fully understand.

This book strikes a perfect balance between breadth and depth. All significant algorithms are covered, most with enough detail to fully understand and implement them, but Grune and Jacobs punt on less practical material like proofs or rigorous formal descriptions. That information is never more than a citation away though, thanks to the 417-entry annotated bibliography, which gives you not only references to source material but a paragraph or two describing their key results.

I couldn't be happier about adding this book to my bookshelf of compiler books -- it quickly became the book I refer to most often, and I thank Grune and Jacobs for this superb guide to this vast and diverse field of computer science.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This edition is NOT available on-line, January 22, 2008

By 

Robert L. Knighten (The Dalles, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Parsing Techniques: A Practical Guide (Monographs in Computer Science) (Hardcover)

The first edition is available at Grune's web site but this very much expanded second edition is not.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Without peer, April 14, 2010

By 

Robert N. Jellinghaus "Hacker" (Redmond, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Parsing Techniques: A Practical Guide (Monographs in Computer Science) (Paperback)

There is no book I know of that is more comprehensive, authoritative, or helpful on the topic of parsing. It is no exaggeration to call this book indispensable to anyone working on parsing technology. I mean that quite sincerely -- in terms of careful exposition, in-depth discussion, thoughtful examples, helpful diagrams, and breadth of techniques described, this book is simply the best in existence.