| name | Lexer Generator |
| description | Expert skill for generating and hand-writing lexers using DFA-based, table-driven, and recursive approaches |
| category | Compiler Frontend |
| allowed-tools | ["Read","Write","Edit","Glob","Grep","Bash"] |
| graph | {"domains":["domain:software-engineering"],"specializations":["specialization:programming-languages"],"skillAreas":["skill-area:compiler-implementation","skill-area:language-design"],"roles":["role:backend-engineer"]} |
Lexer Generator Skill
Overview
Expert skill for generating and hand-writing lexers using various approaches including DFA-based lexers, table-driven lexers, and hand-written recursive lexers.
Capabilities
- Generate lexer from regular expression specifications
- Implement maximal munch tokenization
- Handle Unicode character classes and normalization
- Implement efficient keyword recognition (tries, perfect hashing)
- Support incremental/resumable lexing for IDE integration
- Generate lexer tables and state machines
- Handle lexer modes and contexts (e.g., string interpolation)
- Implement error recovery with skip-to-next strategies
Target Processes
- lexer-implementation.js
- language-grammar-design.js
- lsp-server-implementation.js
- repl-development.js
Dependencies
- Flex-like generators
- RE2/Hyperscan libraries
Usage Guidelines
- Token Definition: Start by defining the complete set of tokens with their regex patterns
- Maximal Munch: Always implement maximal munch to handle ambiguous token boundaries
- Unicode Support: Consider Unicode normalization forms and character classes from the start
- Error Recovery: Implement skip-to-next-valid strategies for robust error handling
- Performance: Use table-driven approaches for large token sets, hand-written for simple lexers
Output Schema
{
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"tokens": {
"type": "array",
"items": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"name": { "type": "string" },
"pattern": { "type": "string" },
"priority": { "type": "integer" }
}
}
},
"lexerType": {
"type": "string"
