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classification
Title: Python 3.0 grammar is ambiguous with the addition of star_expr
Type: enhancement Stage:
Components: Interpreter Core Versions: Python 3.0, Python 3.1
process
Status: closed Resolution: fixed
Dependencies: Superseder:
Assigned To: Nosy List: benjamin.peterson, fabioz
Priority: high Keywords:

Created on 2009-03-09 19:00 by fabioz, last changed 2022-04-11 14:56 by admin. This issue is now closed.

Messages (2)
msg83395 - (view) Author: Fabio Zadrozny (fabioz) * Date: 2009-03-09 19:00
Note: A discussion related to this bug was raised on:
http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2009-March/086939.html

The following constructs are ambiguous in the Python 3.0 grammar:

arglist: (argument ',')*
                        (argument [',']
                         |'*' test (',' argument)* [',' '**' test]
                         |'**' test
                         )

argument: test [comp_for]
test: or_test
or_test: and_test
and_test: not_test
not_test: 'not' not_test | comparison
comparison: star_expr
star_expr: ['*'] expr


So, with that construct, having call(arglist) in a format:

call(*test), the grammar would find it to be consumed in the argument
construction (because of the star_expr) and not in the arglist in the
'*' test.

Python seems to be lucky in this because it seems to be getting in the
correct choice, when that's not really possible from the grammar --
maybe it tries the 2nd construct before the 1st and succeeds because of
that? It seems to me that this could actually be a bug in the Python
grammar generator. 

It doesn't seem possible to disambiguate that without semantic actions
later on, but the grammar could be changed to disambiguate that.

I've used the constructs below in a JavaCC grammar successfully (and I
think Python could use the same constructs):

expr_stmt: testlist_star_expr (augassign (yield_expr|testlist) |
                     ('=' (yield_expr|testlist_star_expr))*)
					 
testlist_star_expr: (test|star_expr) (',' test|star_expr)* [',']

star_expr: '*' expr
msg93167 - (view) Author: Benjamin Peterson (benjamin.peterson) * (Python committer) Date: 2009-09-27 02:46
Fixed in r75080.
History
Date User Action Args
2022-04-11 14:56:46adminsetgithub: 49710
2009-09-27 02:46:06benjamin.petersonsetstatus: open -> closed

nosy: + benjamin.peterson
messages: + msg93167

resolution: fixed
2009-03-10 00:37:53rhettingersetpriority: high
2009-03-09 19:00:12fabiozcreate