built-in method

phrase/2

Description

phrase(GrammarRuleBody, Input)
phrase(::GrammarRuleBody, Input)
phrase(Object::GrammarRuleBody, Input)

True when the GrammarRuleBody grammar rule body can be applied to the Input list of tokens. In the most common case, GrammarRuleBody is a non-terminal defined by a grammar rule. This built-in method is declared private and thus cannot be used as a message to an object. When using a backend Prolog compiler supporting a module system, calls in the format phrase(Module:GrammarRuleBody, Input) may also be used.

This method is opaque to cuts in the first argument. When the first argument is sufficiently instantiated at compile time, the method call is compiled in order to eliminate the implicit overheads of converting the grammar rule body into a goal and meta-calling it. For performance reasons, the second argument is only type-checked at compile time.

Meta-predicate template

phrase(2, *)

Modes and number of proofs

phrase(+callable, ?list) - zero_or_more

Errors

GrammarRuleBody is a variable:

instantiation_error

GrammarRuleBody is neither a variable nor a callable term:

type_error(callable, GrammarRuleBody)

Examples

To parse a list of tokens using a local non-terminal:

phrase(NonTerminal, Input)

To parse a list of tokens using a non-terminal within the scope of self:

phrase(::NonTerminal, Input)

To parse a list of tokens using a public non-terminal of an explicit object:

phrase(Object::NonTerminal, Input)

See also

call//1-N, phrase//1, phrase/3