Computer Software Talk Computer Software Talk    FAQ   Search   Memberlist   Usergroups   Register   Profile   Log in to check your private messages   Log in  Help on creating a run-time customizable Generic Parser          Computer Software Talk Forum Index -> Computer Software Talk View previous topic :: View next topic   Author Message Nick Guest Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 10:45 pm    Post subject: Help on creating a run-time customizable Generic Parser Hi there, I was wondering if any of you guys know a good tutorial/book/essay/ white paper on creating a generic protocol parser? What I am needing is a generic protocol parser that can read in human editable configuration files at run time and be able to configure itself to read the specified protocol, and place it into a data structure representing the packet and the data that it contains. It looks like everything will need to be generic, almost nothing is going to be hard coded into the parser. I can't really ask any specific questions right now, for I do not really understand the concept entirely. But I do need to be pointed in the right direction for learning more about how to go about this. Do any of you guys have suggestions? thanks, Nick Back to top   Ads Advertising Sponsor H. S. Lahman Guest Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 7:36 pm    Post subject: Re: Help on creating a run-time customizable Generic Parser Responding to Nick... Quote: I was wondering if any of you guys know a good tutorial/book/essay/ white paper on creating a generic protocol parser? What I am needing is a generic protocol parser that can read in human editable configuration files at run time and be able to configure itself to read the specified protocol, and place it into a data structure representing the packet and the data that it contains. It looks like everything will need to be generic, almost nothing is going to be hard coded into the parser. I can't really ask any specific questions right now, for I do not really understand the concept entirely. But I do need to be pointed in the right direction for learning more about how to go about this. I don't know of any dedicated to this offhand. However, if one were building a generic parser for arbitrary text languages (a la Lex & Yacc), one would start by abstracting the invariants of a standard meta language like BNF. That would yield abstractions like SyntaxTable, SyntaxRow, Production, Terminal, etc. Then one would identify the parsing responsibilities of each and connect the dots in the design. I don't know if a formal protocol meta language analogous to BNF exists. If it does, then I would start there. However, in practice protocols are so specialized that the lingua franca may well be finite state machines. Basically protocols are about sending messages when certain conditions prevail and defining constraints on the sequencing of those messages. FSMs are ideally suited to that because (A) they employ a quite general asynchronous communication model, (B) conditions map directly to states, and (C) their transitions map directly into the sequencing constraints of the protocol. Thus FSMs are ubiquitous in R-T/E, especially telcomm development. So if a standard meta language does not exist, I think you might well be able to use the configuration data to create and initialize FSMs for any particular protocol. All you would need to do is map the external configuration data into particular senders/receivers, conditions, transitions, and events. (Each sender or receiver would have its own object FSM.) -- There is nothing wrong with me that could not be cured by a capful of Drano. H. S. Lahman hsl@pathfindermda.com Pathfinder Solutions http://www.pathfindermda.com blog: http://pathfinderpeople.blogs.com/hslahman "Model-Based Translation: The Next Step in Agile Development". Email info@pathfindermda.com for your copy. Pathfinder is hiring: http://www.pathfindermda.com/about_us/careers_pos3.php. (888)OOA-PATH Back to top   Ads Advertising Sponsor Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First         Computer Software Talk Forum Index -> Computer Software Talk All times are GMT Page 1 of 1   Jump to: Select a forum Computer Software Talk----------------Computer Software Talk  You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum Australian Debt Consolidation Experts medical insurance Wedding Invitation Annunci di escort, accompagnatrici e massaggiatrici Kontakte Erwachsene Travel life insurance quotes Make Your Own Website Cheap phone calls to Poland Long island Cleaning service mold killer UK Swingers Genuine Contacts Site Janitorial Supplies bissell Vacuum parts 103 Attacks blocked Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group