CompilerCompilers

This page is a list of parser generators (aka compiler compilers) for Java.

(Or check out Google... see http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Programming/Languages/Java/Development_Tools/Translators/Lexer_and_Parser_Generators/)

Add entries for other languages too.

http://www.sablecc.org

I (NatPryce) have been using Sable-CC to experiment with a litle-language. I was struck by how elegant and well engineered it is. It's by far the best parser generator I've used.

The main feature of Sable-CC is that the grammar file contains no Java code. The tool translates the grammar into AST classes and visitors that traverse the AST. Grammar transformations are written by extending the most appropriate visitor.

However, there seems to have been little activity on the project for some time.

http://www.antlr.org

This seems to be the most popular Java parser generator. You have to put imperative code into the grammar to specify transformation actions.

ANTLR can generate parsers in Java, C++ or Sather. However, because the actions are defined in the grammar itself, you have to modify your grammar if you want to use it with a different language.

JavaCC? alias MetaMata? is simple to use... but then I only used it simply (TimBacon). More at http://www.webgain.com/products/java_cc/