TMCALGO R1: Algorithm Compiler

Note: this document does not refer to the latest version of the TMCALGO language. Please refer to TMCALGO R2 for the latest documentation.

    0.0: Invocation
    A.0: Syntax
      A.1: Grammar
      A.2: Lexical Syntax

0.0: Invocation

    tmcalgo [options] [files]
            -k             Keep output file (.c) even on error
            -o <filename>  Send .tmc output to named file
            -v             Produce Debug Messages
            -q             Show this help message
            -w             Give error return on warnings
            -C <node>      Look for command server on specified node

A.0: Syntax

Following is a list of rules for interpreting the TMCALGO Input Grammar specification followed by the TMCALGO Input Grammar specification itself. Don't confuse these rules with the rules for interpreting a TMCALGO program, which is what the grammar defines. Since we're using a grammar to define a program which is used to define other grammars, there is a heavy dose of self-referentiation. If you lose your bearings, get outside and walk fast enough to double your heartrate for at least 20 minutes.

Items typed in TYPEWRITER font (uppercase) represent keywords which would be entered explicitly in a TMCALGO program.
An item typed in lowercase is a non-terminal. The grammar recursively defines how non-terminals can be expanded. For example, the non-terminal rules can be expanded by zero or more rule non-terminals, and so on. Each line beginning with an indented colon (:) marks a possible expansion of the non-terminal being defined. Within an one of these expansions, each reference to a non-terminal is a link to that non-terminal's definition.
Items bracketed by angle brackets (e.g. <INTEGER>) are lexical tokens. Their syntax should be implicit in their names.
I have used brackets ([]) to signify optional items. I use the notation [ item ... ] to indicate that an optional item may be repreated indefinitely. The colon (:) at the beginning of a line identifies a non-terminal expansion (right-hand-side). Literal punctuation is enclosed in single quotes ('*').

A.1: TMCALGO Input Grammar

  program
    : [ prog-item ... ]
  prog-item
    : <TMC-STATEMENT>
    : STATE <NAME> '{' untimed-commands timed-commands '}'
    : PARTITION
  untimed-commands
    : [ <TMC-STATEMENT> ... ]
  timed-commands
    : [ [ [ '+' ] time ] command ... ]
  time
    : <INTEGER> [ ':' <INTEGER> ... ]
  command
    : <TEXT-COMMAND>
    : <TMC-STATEMENT>

A.2: TMCALGO Lexical Syntax

<TEXT-COMMAND>

A text command is a written instrument command prefixed by a right angle-bracket (>). The syntax must match that of the command client/server pair. For example:

              > Lamp On

<TMC-STATEMENT>

As you might guess, a TMC statement bracketed by, well, brackets ([ ]). The syntax is not checked until TMC gets it. For example:

              [ validate lamp_is_on; ]

<INTEGER>

An integer consists of one or more digits.

<NAME>

A name is a unique C-style symbol (begins with a letter and consists of letters, numbers and/or underscore characters) used to identify the state.


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(c)1995 Norton T. Allen

TMCALGO R1: Algorithm Compiler

Contents

0.0: Invocation

A.0: Syntax

A.1: TMCALGO Input Grammar

A.2: TMCALGO Lexical Syntax