How to write a parser in C?

How would you write a parser/lexer for AppleScript?

• Is it feasible to write on using YACC, and ANTLR?

• Answer:

  I don't know a lot about AppleScript, but unless it is seriously weird, I can't imagine you can't write a reasonable parser using conventional parser-generator tools (along with the usual troubles that typical parser generators bring by imposing their limitations (LALR(1), LL(1)) on the grammar you might write). People manage to build parsers with these tools in spite of the glitches. What I can tell you from almost 15 years of experience with a GLR parser generator, is that building parsers even for langauges considered "hard" is relatively straightforward with GLR.  Our DMS Software Reengineering Toolkit has a GLR parser generator, and we parse some 40 languages with it, including C++11 with all the complications of GCC and MS Visual Studio variants without the usual trouble that people building C++ parsers have.  Based on that, I'd expect AppleScript to be relatively easy.