LanguageGame - an interactive parser generator

Abstract

LanguageGame is a tool for a non-professional computer user to make a new programming language. Playing with LanguageGame allows a user to make an original new programming language. In order to give an instruction to a computer, now we have many ways such as selecting menu, push button, drag icon or so. Recent researches of computer user interface have developed various methods of interacting with computer. Above all, with using WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) way, user interface becomes very rich and useful for non-engineer users. But yet, the most fundamental way of having a dialog with computer is to input a sequence of command kind of programming language. Using WYSIWIG style has advantages when a user uses a computer instead of real paper. But to deal with more abstract or involved matter, using a programming language has more benefit because symbols are more stable and we can use powerful idea as a recursiveness or a reference with such language. The importance of programming language could never change however GUI will be more improved. There are various languages in the world, and there are many interesting aspects and tastes in each language. As the grammars of the programming language are very interesting, developing a language must be more fun. Of course making a language seemed to be difficult. And it was planned to develop a parser generator that common people can make their own language easily. A parser generator is one of the most basic software in computer. Historically, various programming languages have been developed. And to make developing their parser easily, the technique of automatic parser generation was found. Now the parser generator becomes established technology. LanguageGame is such a parser generator that has graphical user interface. Contrary to popular professional parser generator like yacc/lex in UNIX platform, it is intended to use non-professional computer users, students and children. Playing with LanguageGame, users can learn and build simple parser with pretty graphical interface, drag-and-drop and graphical syntax tree representation. In current implementation, LanguageGame is developed on Squeak - a free open environment of Smalltalk. Hereby, the user grammar with LanguageGame can use all objects like a sketch and sound in Squeak.