GNU Info

(bison.info)Parser States

---

Next: Reduce/Reduce Prev: Contextual Precedence Up: Algorithm

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

Parser States
=============

   The function `yyparse' is implemented using a finite-state machine.
The values pushed on the parser stack are not simply token type codes;
they represent the entire sequence of terminal and nonterminal symbols
at or near the top of the stack.  The current state collects all the
information about previous input which is relevant to deciding what to
do next.

   Each time a look-ahead token is read, the current parser state
together with the type of look-ahead token are looked up in a table.
This table entry can say, "Shift the look-ahead token."  In this case,
it also specifies the new parser state, which is pushed onto the top of
the parser stack.  Or it can say, "Reduce using rule number N."  This
means that a certain number of tokens or groupings are taken off the
top of the stack, and replaced by one grouping.  In other words, that
number of states are popped from the stack, and one new state is pushed.

   There is one other alternative: the table can say that the
look-ahead token is erroneous in the current state.  This causes error
processing to begin (Note: Error Recovery).