> It slightly helps integration but the main problem is still present: > the AST changes frequently.
Not a problem, it's part of the game :-) Like LLVM / CLang, the AST changes frequently, and it's the swiss army of C/C++ parsers / formatters / etc. There is an attempts at having a reduced API that they maintain stable (libclang if I remember correctly), but everybody doing serious stuff uses the AST. > Creating a lib isn't very hard to do. But I doubt that this will > generate a lot of interest compared to a JSON/XML output. It think it would. - embedded parser = less burden for users of resulting tools - if it compiles, then it works (99% of chances, but it alleviates testing) - developers can stick to a version of the AST and hence of the parser, no problem Update to newer lib version when very much needed, e.g. support for new VHDL standard, etc - faster ? - no burden about maintaining XML/JSON dumpers and parsers Also quoting your latest message: > If you look at disp_vhdl, this module is able to reprint vhdl sources from > the AST. GHDL can also reprint VHDL? So much icing on the cake :-] Then with a generic lib anyone can reuse, how could the GHDL project be more universal than that? ;-) We've suffered too much all these years trying to build up toy and ugly and unreusable stuff each time we needed to do something with VHDL. I have a dream that one day there is a lib! Nobody will have any excuse using re-developped parser, standard-locked, non-standard compliant, for synthesis tool suites. The real problem becomes maintaining headers for C/C++... But this could be done only for major changes of the AST, should be doable? Regards, Adrien _______________________________________________ Ghdl-discuss mailing list Ghdl-discuss@gna.org https://mail.gna.org/listinfo/ghdl-discuss
