Re: [GNU-COBOL] GNU-COBOL list reborn

["Justin C. Ferguson" <jferg@lusArs.net>]

When last we left our heros, they were speaking of:
> Michael McKernan wrote :>
> >
> >Well, this is a marvelously refreshing change for this long dormant
> >list.  Let's hear it for the new guys!  Actually, the list is 66%
> >larger than it was when I last checked early in September, which I'll
> >take as a very hopeful sign.
> >
> >Chad, do you really think parsing COBOL is such a bear?  I have
> 
> I think it is. but then again I am not really into the front end.
> I have always adn will remain in the back end  by implementing
> the cobol functionality in c/c++.

	I say this with the caveat that I am not a compiler/parser/translator
	person, nor do I play one on TV; however, the impression I get from
	both looking at the Cobol standard as well as talking with Laura is
	that implementing a large subset of the Cobol grammar would not 
	necessarily be a beast, but implementing the standard _would_ be a 
	definite mess.  It's a "devil in the details" sort of problem, in 
	that there are many little things that make the overall grammar 
	very tricky to implement in a standard parser generator.  

	That said, I also am in Chad's position, I'm more of a C/C++ person, 
	not a compiler person.  On that front, I do have some good news, at 
	least from my point of view, in that the IP issues with my employer
	have been resolved, and I'm free to do whatever I want in my own time
	and have it remain my property, and not my employer's.  So I'm once
	again free to work on whatever may need to be done for the project.

	Also, the list archive should be working again, and most of the last
	spate of messages should trickle into it pretty soon.  

								JF

-- 
Justin Ferguson - Tech. Analyst/Geek of All Trades   jferg@lusars.net
http://www.lusars.net/~jferg/                            jferg@geeks.com
A hollow voice says "Plugh".                                   jferg@acm.org 

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