A pred-LL(*) Parsable Typed Higher-Order Macro System for Architecture Description Languages

Explore a 30-minute conference talk from GPCE 2023 that delves into a pred-LL(*) parsable typed higher-order macro system for Architecture Description Languages (ADLs). Discover how Christoph Hochrainer and Andreas Krall from TU Wien present the design and implementation of a pattern-based syntax macro system for the Vienna Architecture Description Language (VADL). Learn about the integration of function and record types in template-based macro systems and their impact on ADL specifications. Understand the context-sensitive pred-LL(*) parser used for analysis at parse time and examine typical macro application design patterns. Gain insights into the system's effectiveness through a detailed evaluation of Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) specifications for five different processor architectures, showcasing specification reductions of up to 90 times and the resulting improvements in maintainability, readability, and runtime performance.