lex, yacc, and xml

Ward Harold (wharold@tivoli.com)
Mon, 22 Dec 1997 14:04:27 -0600

<question name="why hand code parsers" class="potentially stupid">
Why is it that all of the XML parsers/processors I've seen appear to be
hand coded rather than generated via lex/yacc or flex/bison? I seem to
recall seeing something to the effect that yacc/bison can't handle the
class of grammar that XML falls into. Then again I'm not a compiler
constructor, opted for the AI sequence in graduate school, so I may be
imagining things. Even if there is a technical reason for eschewing
parser generation surely the basic lexing and scanning could be done
with lex/flex, no?
</question>

<signature name="Ward K. Harold" address="ward.harold@tivoli.com"/>