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<img alt="Erlang logo" src="../../../../doc/erlang-logo.png"><br><small><a href="users_guide.html">User's Guide</a><br><a href="index.html">Reference Manual</a><br><a href="release_notes.html">Release Notes</a><br><a href="../pdf/syntax_tools-1.6.9.pdf">PDF</a><br><a href="../../../../doc/index.html">Top</a></small><p><strong>Syntax_Tools</strong><br><strong>User's Guide</strong><br><small>Version 1.6.9</small></p>
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<li title="Overview"><a href="chapter.html#id57236">Overview</a></li>
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<h1>1 Erlang Syntax Tools
</h1>
<h3><a name="id57236">1.1
Overview</a></h3>
<p>This package contains modules for handling abstract Erlang syntax
trees, in a way that is compatible with the "parse trees" of the
standard library module <span class="code">erl_parse</span>, together with utilities for reading
source files in unusual ways and pretty-printing syntax trees. Also
included is an amazing module merger and renamer called Igor, as well as
an automatic code-cleaner.</p>
<p>The abstract layer (defined in <span class="bold_code"><a href="erl_syntax.html">erl_syntax</a></span>) is nicely
structured and the node types are context-independent. The layer makes
it possible to transparently attach source-code comments and user
annotations to nodes of the tree. Using the abstract layer makes
applications less sensitive to changes in the <span class="bold_code"><a href="javascript:erlhref('../../../../doc/../','stdlib','erl_parse.html');">erl_parse(3)</a></span>
data structures, only requiring the <span class="bold_code"><a href="erl_syntax.html">erl_syntax</a></span> module to be
up-to-date.</p>
<p>The pretty printer <span class="bold_code"><a href="erl_prettypr.html">erl_prettypr</a></span> is implemented on top of the
library module <span class="bold_code"><a href="prettypr.html">prettypr</a></span>: this is a powerful and flexible generic
pretty printing library, which is also distributed separately.</p>
<p>For a short demonstration of parsing and pretty-printing, simply
compile the included module <span class="bold_code"><a href="../../examples/demo.erl">demo.erl</a></span>, and execute
<span class="code">demo:run()</span> from the Erlang shell. It will compile the
remaining modules and give you further instructions.</p>
<p>Also try the <span class="bold_code"><a href="erl_tidy.html">erl_tidy</a></span> module, as follows:
</p>
<div class="example"><pre>
erl_tidy:dir("any-erlang-source-dir", [test, old_guard_tests]).</pre></div>
<p>
("<span class="code">test</span>" assures that no files are modified).</p>
<p>News in 1.4:
</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Added support for <span class="bold_code"><a href="erl_syntax.html#cond_expr-1">cond-expressions</a></span>,
<span class="bold_code"><a href="erl_syntax.html#try_expr-4">try-expressions</a></span> and
<span class="bold_code"><a href="erl_syntax.html#class_qualifier-2">class-qualifier patterns</a></span>.</p></li>
<li><p>Added support for parameterized modules.</p></li>
<li><p><span class="bold_code"><a href="igor.html">Igor</a></span> is officially included.</p></li>
<li><p>Quick-parse functionality added to <span class="bold_code"><a href="epp_dodger.html">epp_dodger</a></span>.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>
</p>
<p>News in 1.3:
</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Added support for qualified names (as used by "packages").</p></li>
<li><p>Various internal changes.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>
</p>
<p>News in 1.2:
</p>
<ul>
<li><p>HTML Documentation (generated with EDoc).</p></li>
<li><p>A few bug fixes and some minor interface changes (sorry for any
inconvenience).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>
</p>
<p>News in 1.1:
</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Module <span class="bold_code"><a href="erl_tidy.html">erl_tidy</a></span>: check or tidy either a single module, or a
whole directory tree recursively. Rewrites and reformats the code
without losing comments or expanding macros. Safe mode allows
generating reports without modifying files.</p></li>
<li><p>Module <span class="bold_code"><a href="erl_syntax_lib.html">erl_syntax_lib</a></span>: contains support functions for easier
analysis of the source code structure.</p></li>
<li><p>Module <span class="bold_code"><a href="epp_dodger.html">epp_dodger</a></span>: Bypasses the Erlang preprocessor - avoids
macro expansion, file inclusion, conditional compilation, etc.
Allows you to find/modify particular definitions/applications of
macros, and other things previously not possible.</p></li>
</ul>
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