text-format.txt

1. Introduction to rules-ng-ng text format

This-specification defines a text format that can be converted to and from rules-ng-ng XML.
It is intended to allow to create rules-ng-ng files with much less typing and with a more readable text.
xml2text can convert rules-ng-ng XML to this text format
text2xml can convert this text format to rules-ng-ng XML

This specification is an addendum to the rules-ng-ng specification and assumes familiarity with it.

2. Format

2.1. Line format

The initial indentation of a line is divided by 8 and the result determines the position in the document structure (similar to the Python language).
A "//" anywhere in the line causes the rest to be converted to an XML comment (like C++)
A line starting with ":" creates a <doc> tag with the rest of the line (excluding anything starting with //).
The content of multiple lines starting with ":" is merged in a single <doc> tag.

2.2. Tokenization

The line is then tokenized.
Token are generally continuous strings on non-whitespace characters, with some exceptions
Some characters (such as ":", "=" and "-") form a single-character token.
Text within double quotes generates a <brief> tag.
Any token formatted as ATTR(VALUE) generates an ATTR="VALUE" attribute. No whitespace allowed between ATTR and the '(' character.
Any token formatted as (VALUE) generates a variants="VALUE" attribute.
Any token formatted as (VARSET=VALUE) generates a varset="VARSET" variants="VALUE" attribute.

2.3. Special token sequences

These sequences are recognized and extracted before matching the line format:

: NUM
	set REGLIKE to regNUM
	you must specify a type if the reg is anonymous
	the : is recognized only if it is the third or successive token (and not the last) to avoid ambiguity with bitfields and generic tags

{ STRIDE }
	stride="STRIDE" attribute

[ LENGTH ]
	length="LENGTH" attribute

!FLAGS
	access="FLAGS"
	no whitespace allowed after '!'

:=
	at the end of the line
	set REGLIKE to "stripe"

=
	at the end of the line
	set REGLIKE to "array"

inline
	at the beginning of the line
	inline="yes" attribute

2.4. Line patterns

The following line patterns are understood.
Only word tokens are used to match lines.
All tokens with special meaning are treated separately as described above.
[FOO] means that FOO is optional

#import "FILE"
	<import file="FILE"/>

#pragma regNUM
	REGLIKE is now set by default to regNUM instead of reg32

@TAG [NAME]
	<TAG name="NAME"/>
	use this if there are no children

TAG [NAME] :
	<TAG name="NAME">
	use this if there are children

TOKEN
	<value value="TOKEN" /> if inside a reg or enum and TOKEN starts with a digit
	<value name="TOKEN" /> if inside a reg or enum and TOKEN does not start with a digit
	<REGLIKE offset="TOKEN" /> otherwise

POS NAME
	<bitfield low="POS" high="POS" name="NAME"/> if inside a reg or bitset
	<REGLIKE offset="POS" name="NAME"> otherwise

LOW - HIGH NAME [TYPE]
	<bitfield low="LOW" high="HIGH" name="NAME" type="TYPE"/>

VALUE = NAME
	<value value="VALUE" name="NAME"/>

use WHAT NAME
	<use-WHAT name="NAME" />

OFFSET NAME [TYPE]
	<REGLIKE offset="OFFSET" name="NAME" type="TYPE">