section-based parsing

language text can be free-format or broken into scetions. sectionisation makes parsing drastically easier.

free-format text is extremely difficult to parse

text may be free-format, line based, or line-and-column based for example.


free-format 		C

line based 		vb

line-and-column		fortran, early versions



line-based 3Gl


	function declaration			void x(int y)
	
	variable declaration			dim z as integer

	if statement				if a < b then

	while statement				while (x < y)

	assignment				x = 2;

	brackets				{}, endif

	function call				f1( a2 );





line-based parsing

	determine type of line

	parse expressions

	generate code

	