Building a Parser: Recursive Descent or Top-Down?

Tackling the Challenge of Building a Parser

Question:

Embarking on a parser construction endeavor, I encounter difficulties comprehending the approach. Consider the sample string:

{key1 = value1 | key2 = {key3 = value3} | key4 = {key5 = { key6 = value6 }}}

An ideal output resembles a nested map structure:

map[key1] = value1
map[key2] = (map[key3] = value3)
map[key4] = (map[key5] = (map[key6] = value6))

Is this a viable approach or am I exploring an incorrect path?

Answer:

Creating a parser is a multifaceted endeavor that demands an extensive response.

Guidance:

1. Recursive Descent Parsing: Consider studying this method, elucidated in resources like http://www.cs.binghamton.edu/~zdu/parsdemo/recintro.html.
2. Top-Down Parsing: Explore this approach, discussed in resources like http://javascript.crockford.com/tdop/tdop.html and http://effbot.org/zone/simple-top-down-parsing.htm.
3. Go Standard Library Parser Code: Examine existing parser code in the Go standard library (http://golang.org/src/pkg/go/parser/parser.go) for practical examples.
4. Rob Pike's Lecture on Lexer Writing: This video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxaD_trXwRE) provides valuable insights into constructing a lexer, an integral component of a parser.
5. Online Resources: Numerous articles and tutorials on parsing are available online. While syntax may differ depending on the chosen language, the underlying concepts remain transferable to Go.

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