NAME

     bison - GNU Project parser generator (yacc replacement)

SYNOPSIS

     bison [ -b file-prefix ] [ --file-prefix=file-prefix ] [  -d
     ] [ --defines ] [ -k ] [ --token-table ] [ -l ] [ --no-lines
     ] [ -n ]  [  --no-parser  ]  [  -o  outfile  ]  [  --output-
     file=outfile ] [ -p prefix ] [ --name-prefix=prefix ] [ -r ]
     [ --raw ] [ -t ] [ --debug ] [ -v ] [ --verbose ] [ -V  ]  [
     --version  ]  [ -y ] [ --yacc ] [ -h ] [ --help ] [ --fixed-
     output-files ] file

DESCRIPTION

     Bison is a parser generator in the  style  of  yacc(1).   It
     should  be upwardly compatible with input files designed for
     yacc.

     Input files should follow the yacc convention of  ending  in
     .y.   Unlike  yacc,  the  generated  files do not have fixed
     names, but instead use the prefix of the  input  file.   For
     instance,  a  grammar  description  file named parse.y would
     produce the generated parser in a  file  named  parse.tab.c,
     instead of yacc's y.tab.c.

     This description of the options that can be given  to  bison
     is  adapted  from  the  node Invocation in the bison.texinfo
     manual, which should be taken as authoritative.

     Bison supports both traditional  single-letter  options  and
     mnemonic long option names.  Long option names are indicated
     with -- instead of -.  Abbreviations for  option  names  are
     allowed  as  long  as  they  are unique.  When a long option
     takes an argument, like --file-prefix,  connect  the  option
     name and the argument with =.

  OPTIONS
     -b file-prefix
     --file-prefix=file-prefix
          Specify a prefix to  use  for  all  bison  output  file
          names.   The names are chosen as if the input file were
          named file-prefix.c.

     -d
     --defines
          Write an extra output file containing macro definitions
          for the token type names defined in the grammar and the
          semantic value type YYSTYPE, as well as  a  few  extern
          variable declarations.

          If the parser output file is  named  name.c  then  this
          file is named name.h.

          This output file is essential if you wish  to  put  the
          definition  of yylex in a separate source file, because
          yylex needs to be able to refer to token type codes and
          the variable yylval.

     -r
     --raw
          The token numbers in the name.h file  are  usually  the
          Yacc compatible translations.  If this switch is speci-
          fied, Bison token numbers are  output  instead.   (Yacc
          numbers  start  at  257  except  for  single  character
          tokens;  Bison assigns token numbers  sequentially  for
          all tokens starting at 3.)

     -k
     --token-table
          This switch causes the name.tab.c output to  include  a
          list  of  token  names in order by their token numbers;
          this is defined in the array yytname.   Also  generated
          are  #defines for YYNTOKENS, YYNNTS, YYNRULES, and YYN-
          STATES.

     -l
     --no-lines
          Don't put any #line preprocessor commands in the parser
          file.  Ordinarily bison puts them in the parser file so
          that the C compiler and debuggers will associate errors
          with  your  source file, the grammar file.  This option
          causes them to associate errors with the  parser  file,
          treating  it  an  independent  source  file  in its own
          right.

     -n
     --no-parser
          Do not generate the parser code into the output;   gen-
          erate only declarations.  The generated name.tab.c file
          will have only constant declarations.  In  addition,  a
          name.act  file  is generated containing a switch state-
          ment body containing all the translated actions.

     -o outfile
     --output-file=outfile
          Specify the name outfile for the parser file.

          The other output files' names are constructed from out-
          file as described under the -v and -d switches.

     -p prefix
     --name-prefix=prefix
          Rename the external symbols used in the parser so  that
          they start with prefix instead of yy.  The precise list
          of symbols renamed is yyparse, yylex, yyerror,  yylval,
          yychar, and yydebug.

          For example, if you use -p c, the names become  cparse,
          clex, and so on.

     -t
     --debug
          Output a definition  of  the  macro  YYDEBUG  into  the
          parser  file, so that the debugging facilities are com-
          piled.

     -v
     --verbose
          Write an extra output file containing verbose  descrip-
          tions  of  the  parser states and what is done for each
          type of look-ahead token in that state.

          This file also describes all the conflicts, both  those
          resolved  by  operator  precedence  and  the unresolved
          ones.

          The file's name is made by removing .tab.c or  .c  from
          the   parser  output  file  name,  and  adding  .output
          instead.

          Therefore, if the input file is foo.y, then the  parser
          file is called foo.tab.c by default.  As a consequence,
          the verbose output file is called foo.output.

     -V
     --version
          Print the version number of bison and exit.

     -h
     --help
          Print a summary of the options to bison and exit.

     -y
     --yacc
     --fixed-output-files
          Equivalent to -o y.tab.c; the  parser  output  file  is
          called  y.tab.c,  and  the  other  outputs  are  called
          y.output and y.tab.h.  The purpose of this switch is to
          imitate yacc's output file name conventions.  Thus, the
          following shell script can substitute for yacc:

          bison -y $*

FILES

     /usr/local/lib/bison.simple   simple parser
     /usr/local/lib/bison.hairy    complicated parser

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

     BISON_SIMPLE
          If this is set, it specifies the location in which  the
          bison.simple parser can be found.

     BISON_HAIRY
          If this is set, it specifies the location in which  the
          bison.hairy parser can be found.

SEE ALSO

     yacc(1)
     The  Bison  Reference   Manual,   included   as   the   file
     bison.texinfo in the bison source distribution.

DIAGNOSTICS

     Self explanatory.