tree_sitter_graph/reference/

mod.rs

// -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Copyright © 2021, tree-sitter authors.
// Licensed under either of Apache License, Version 2.0, or MIT license, at your option.
// Please see the LICENSE-APACHE or LICENSE-MIT files in this distribution for license details.
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

//! This section defines the graph DSL implemented by this library.
//!
//! [tree-sitter]: https://docs.rs/tree-sitter/
//! [tree-sitter-python]: https://docs.rs/tree-sitter-python/
//!
//! # Overview
//!
//! You can use [tree-sitter][] to parse the content of source code into a _concrete syntax tree_.
//! For instance, using the [tree-sitter-python][] grammar, you can parse Python source code:
//!
//! ``` python
//! # test.py
//! from one.two import d, e.c
//! import three
//! print(d, e.c)
//! print three.f
//! ```
//!
//! ``` text
//! $ tree-sitter parse test.py
//! (module [0, 0] - [4, 0]
//!   (import_from_statement [0, 0] - [0, 26]
//!     module_name: (dotted_name [0, 5] - [0, 12]
//!       (identifier [0, 5] - [0, 8])
//!       (identifier [0, 9] - [0, 12]))
//!     name: (dotted_name [0, 20] - [0, 21]
//!       (identifier [0, 20] - [0, 21]))
//!     name: (dotted_name [0, 23] - [0, 26]
//!       (identifier [0, 23] - [0, 24])
//!       (identifier [0, 25] - [0, 26])))
//!   (import_statement [1, 0] - [1, 12]
//!     name: (dotted_name [1, 7] - [1, 12]
//!       (identifier [1, 7] - [1, 12])))
//!   (expression_statement [2, 0] - [2, 13]
//!     (call [2, 0] - [2, 13]
//!       function: (identifier [2, 0] - [2, 5])
//!       arguments: (argument_list [2, 5] - [2, 13]
//!         (identifier [2, 6] - [2, 7])
//!         (attribute [2, 9] - [2, 12]
//!           object: (identifier [2, 9] - [2, 10])
//!           attribute: (identifier [2, 11] - [2, 12])))))
//!   (print_statement [3, 0] - [3, 13]
//!     argument: (attribute [3, 6] - [3, 13]
//!       object: (identifier [3, 6] - [3, 11])
//!       attribute: (identifier [3, 12] - [3, 13]))))
//! ```
//!
//! There are many interesting use cases where you want to use this parsed syntax tree to create
//! some _other_ graph-like structure.  This library lets you do that, using a declarative DSL to
//! identify patterns in the parsed syntax tree, along with rules for which graph nodes and edges
//! to create for the syntax nodes that match those patterns.
//!
//! # Terminology
//!
//! One confusing aspect of the graph DSL is that we have to talk about two different kinds of
//! "node": the nodes of the concrete syntax tree that is our input when executing a graph DSL
//! file, and the nodes of the graph that we produce as an output.  We will be careful to always
//! use "syntax node" and "graph node" in this documentation to make it clear which kind of node we
//! mean.
//!
//! # High-level structure
//!
//! A graph DSL file consists of one or more **_stanzas_**.  Each stanza starts with a tree-sitter
//! [**_query pattern_**][query], which identifies a portion of the concrete syntax tree.  The
//! query pattern should use [**_captures_**][captures] to identify particular syntax nodes in the
//! matched portion of the tree.  Following the query is a **_block_**, which is a sequence of
//! statements that construct **_graph nodes_**, link them with **_edges_**, and annotate both with
//! **_attributes_**.
//!
//! [query]: https://tree-sitter.github.io/tree-sitter/using-parsers#pattern-matching-with-queries
//! [captures]: https://tree-sitter.github.io/tree-sitter/using-parsers#capturing-nodes
//!
//! Query patterns can be suffixed by quantification operators. If a pattern with a quantification
//! suffix is captured, the suffix determines the capture value. In the case of `?`, the capture value
//! is a null value, or a syntax node. In the case of `+` and `*`, the value is a list of syntax nodes.
//!
//! [quantification]: https://tree-sitter.github.io/tree-sitter/using-parsers#quantification-operators
//!
//! Comments start with a semicolon, and extend to the end of the line.
//!
//! Identifiers start with either an ASCII letter or underscore, and all remaining characters are
//! ASCII letters, numbers, underscores, or hyphens.  (More precisely, they satisfy the regular
//! expression `/[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_-]*/`.)  Identifiers are used as the names of
//! [attributes](#attributes), [functions](#functions), and [variables](#variables).
//!
//! To execute a graph DSL file against a concrete syntax tree, we execute each stanza in the graph
//! DSL file exhaustively.  For each stanza, we identify each place where the concrete syntax tree
//! matches the query pattern.  For each of these places, we end up with a different set of syntax
//! nodes assigned to the query pattern's captures.  We execute the block of statements for each of
//! these capture assignments, creating any graph nodes, edges, or attributes mentioned in the
//! block.
//!
//! Regular execution will apply the stanzas _in order_, and it is important to make sure that scoped variables
//! have been assigned before they are used.  This is not a requirement when using the lazy evaluation strategy,
//! which handles this implicitly.  The lazy evaluation strategy is also more efficient when there are many stanzas,
//! because it can reduce tree traversals.  Therefore, using the lazy evaluation strategy is recommended, and will
//! likely become the only supported strategy in future releases.
//!
//! For instance, the following stanza would match all of the identifiers in our example syntax
//! tree:
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! (identifier) @id
//! {
//!   ; Some statements that will be executed for each identifier in the
//!   ; source file.  You can use @id to refer to the matched identifier
//!   ; syntax node.
//! }
//! ```
//!
//! # Expressions
//!
//! The value of an expression in the graph DSL can be any of the following:
//!
//!   - null
//!   - a boolean
//!   - a string
//!   - an integer (unsigned, 32 bits)
//!   - a reference to a syntax node
//!   - a reference to a graph node
//!   - an ordered list of values
//!   - a list comprehension
//!   - an unordered set of values
//!   - a set comprehension
//!
//! The null value is spelled `#null`.
//!
//! The boolean literals are spelled `#true` and `#false`.
//!
//! String constants are enclosed in double quotes.  They can contain backslash escapes `\\`, `\0`,
//! `\n`, `\r`, and `\t`:
//!
//!   - `"a string"`
//!   - `"a string with\na newline"`
//!   - `"a string with\\a backslash"`
//!
//! Integer constants are encoded in ASCII decimal:
//!
//!   - `0`
//!   - `10`
//!   - `42`
//!
//! Lists consist of zero or more expressions, separated by commas, enclosed in square brackets.
//! The elements of a list do not have to have the same type:
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! [0, "string", 0, #true, @id]
//! ```
//!
//! Sets have the same format, but are enclosed in curly braces instead of square brackets:
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! {0, "string", #true, @id}
//! ```
//!
//! Both lists and sets both allow trailing commas after the final element, if you prefer that
//! style to play more nicely with source control diffs:
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! [
//!   0,
//!   "string",
//!   #true,
//!   @id,
//! ]
//! ```
//!
//! List comprehensions allow mapping over a list and producing a new list with elements based on the
//! given element expression:
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! [ (some-function x) for x in @xs ]
//! [ @x.scoped_var for x in @xs ]
//! ```
//!
//! Set comprehensions have similar syntax, but the resulting value will be a set instead of an ordered list:
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! { (some-function x) for x in @xs }
//! { @x.scoped_var for x in @xs }
//! ```
//!
//! List and set comprehensions are subject to the same restrictions as for loops, which means the list
//! value that is iterated over must be local.  It is therefore not possible to iterator over the value
//! of a scoped variable. Using scoped variables in the element expression however is no problem.
//!
//! # Syntax nodes
//!
//! Syntax nodes are identified by tree-sitter query captures (`@name`).  For instance, in our
//! example stanza, whose query is `(identifier) @id`, `@id` would refer to the `identifier` syntax
//! node that the stanza matched against.
//!
//! Unused query captures are considered errors, unless they start with an underscode. For example,
//! a capture `@id` must be used within the stanza, but `@_id` does not.
//!
//! # Variables
//!
//! You can use variables to pass information between different stanzas and statements in a graph
//! DSL file.  There are three kinds of variables:
//!
//!   - **_Global_** variables are provided externally by whatever process is executing the graph
//!     DSL file.  You can use this, for instance, to pass in the path of the source file being
//!     analyzed, to use as part of the graph structure that you create.
//!
//!   - **_Local_** variables are only visible within the current execution of the current stanza.
//!     Once all of the statements in the stanza have been executed, all local variables disappear.
//!
//!   - **_Scoped_** variables are "attached to" syntax nodes.  Their values carry over from stanza
//!     to stanza.  Scoped variables are referenced by using a syntax node expression (typically a
//!     query capture) and a variable name, separated by a period: `@node.variable`.
//!
//! Global variables are declared using a `global` declaration.  The external process that executes the
//! graph DSL file must provide values for all declared global variables.  (It is not possible to define
//! a global variable and give it a value from within the graph DSL.) The name of the global variable can
//! be suffixed by a quantifier: '*' and '+' for lists, and '?' for optional values, which allows them to
//! be used in iteration and conditional statements, respectively.
//!
//! Local and scoped variables are created using `var` or `let` statements.  A `let` statement
//! creates an **_immutable variable_**, whose value cannot be changed.  A `var` statement creates
//! a **_mutable variable_**.  You use a `set` statement to change the value of a mutable variable.
//! Local variables are not allowed to have the same name as a declared global variable.
//!
//! Local variables are block scoped.  For example, a local variable defined in a `scan` arm is not
//! visible in other scan arms, or after the `scan` statement.  If you need to persist a value for use
//! after a block, introduce a mutable variable before the block and assign to it inside the block.
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! global global_variable
//!
//! (identifier) @id
//! {
//!   let local_variable = "a string"
//!   ; The following would be an error, since `let` variables are immutable:
//!   ; set local_variable = "a new value"
//!
//!   ; The following is also an error, since you can't mutate a variable that
//!   ; doesn't exist:
//!   ; set missing_variable = 42
//!
//!   ; The following is an error, since you cannot hide a global variable with
//!   ; a local one:
//!   ; let global_variable = "a new value"
//!
//!   var mutable_variable = "first value"
//!   set mutable_variable = global_variable ; we can refer to the global variable
//!
//!   var @id.kind = "id"
//! }
//! ```
//!
//! Variables can be referenced anywhere that you can provide an expression.  It's an error if you
//! try to reference a variable that hasn't been defined.
//!
//! # Functions
//!
//! The process executing a graph DSL file can provide **_functions_** that can be called from
//! within graph DSL stanzas.
//!
//! Function calls use a Lisp-like syntax, where the name of the function being called is _inside_
//! of the parentheses.  The parameters to a function call are arbitrary expressions.  For
//! instance, if the executing process provides a function named `+`, you could call it as:
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! (identifier) @id
//! {
//!    let x = 4
//!    let @id.nine = (+ x 5)
//! }
//! ```
//!
//! Note that it's the process executing the graph DSL file that decides which functions are
//! available.  We do define a [standard library][], and most of the time those are the functions
//! that are available, but you should double-check the documentation of whatever graph DSL tool
//! you're using to make sure.
//!
//! [standard library]: functions/index.html
//!
//! # Graph nodes
//!
//! You can use this graph DSL to create any graph structure that you want.  There are no
//! limitations on which graph nodes you create, nor on how you use edges to connect the graph
//! nodes.  You are not limited to creating a tree, and in particular, you are not limited to
//! creating a tree that "lines" up with the parsed syntax tree.
//!
//! There are two ways to create a new graph node.  The first, and most common, is to use a `node`
//! statement:
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! (identifier) @id
//! {
//!   node @id.node
//! }
//! ```
//!
//! This creates a graph node, and assigns a reference to the new node to a new immutable variable
//! named `new_node`.
//!
//! The second way to create a graph node is to call the [`node`][] function:
//!
//! [`node`]: functions/index.html#node
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! (identifier) @id
//! {
//!   let @id.node = (node)
//! }
//! ```
//!
//! Note that these two examples do exactly the same thing!  In fact, the `node` statement in the
//! first example is just syntactic sugar for the `let` statement in the second example.  Since the
//! most common pattern is to create a graph node and immediately assign it to an immutable scoped
//! variable, we provide the `node` statement as a convenient shorthand.  If you need to do
//! anything more complex, such as assigning the graph node reference to a _mutable_ variable, you
//! can call the [`node`][] function directly.
//!
//! By attaching a graph node to a syntax node using a [scoped variable](#variables), you can refer
//! to them from multiple stanzas:
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! (identifier) @id
//! {
//!   node @id.node
//! }
//!
//! (dotted_name (identifier) @dotted_element)
//! {
//!   ; We will learn more about the attr statement below
//!   attr (@dotted_element.node) kind = "dotted"
//! }
//! ```
//!
//! In this example, we will create a graph node for _every_ `identifier` syntax node.  Each of
//! those syntax nodes will have a `node` scoped variable, containing a reference to its graph
//! node.  But only the graph nodes of those identifiers that appear inside of a `dotted_name` will
//! have a `kind` attribute.  And even though we used different capture names, inside of different
//! queries, to find those `identifier` nodes, the graph node references in both stanzas refer to
//! the same graph nodes.
//!
//! # Edges
//!
//! Edges are created via an `edge` statement, which specifies the two graph nodes that should be
//! connected.  Edges are directed, and the `->` arrow in the `edge` statement indicates the
//! direction of the edge.
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! (import_statement name: (_) @name)
//! {
//!   node @name.source
//!   node @name.sink
//!   edge @name.source -> @name.sink
//! }
//! ```
//!
//! There can be at most one edge connecting any particular source and sink graph node in the
//! graph.  If multiple stanzas create edges between the same graph nodes, those are "collapsed"
//! into a single edge.
//!
//! # Attributes
//!
//! Graph nodes and edges have an associated set of **_attributes_**.  Each attribute has a name
//! (which is an identifier), and a value.
//!
//! You add attributes to a graph node or edge using an `attr` statement:
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! (import_statement name: (_) @name)
//! {
//!   node @name.source
//!   node @name.sink
//!   attr (@name.sink) kind = "module"
//!   attr (@name.source -> @name.sink) precedence = 10
//! }
//! ```
//!
//! Note that you have to have already created the graph node or edge, and the graph node or edge
//! must not already have an attribute with the same name.
//!
//! (Attributes might seem similar to scoped variables, but they are quite different.  Attributes
//! are attached to graph nodes and edges, while scoped variables are attached to syntax nodes.
//! More importantly, scoped variables only exist while executing the graph DSL file.  Once the
//! execution has completed, the variables disappear.  Attributes, on the other hand, are part of
//! the output produced by the graph DSL file, and live on after execution has finished.)
//!
//! ## Attribute shorthands
//!
//! Commonly used combinations of attributes can be captured in **_shorthands_**.  Each shorthand defines
//! the attribute name, a variable which captures the attribute value, and a list of attributes to which
//! it expands.
//!
//! Attribute shorthands are defined at the same level as stanzas.  For example, the following shorthand
//! takes a syntax node as argument, and expands to attributes for its source text and child index:
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! attribute node_props = node => node_text = (source-text node), node_index = (named-child-index node)
//!
//! (argument (_)@expr) {
//!   attr (@expr) node_props = @expr
//! }
//! ```
//!
//! # Regular expressions
//!
//! You can use a `scan` statement to match the content of a string value against a set of regular
//! expressions.
//!
//! Starting at the beginning of the string, we determine the first character where one of the
//! regular expressions matches.  If more than one regular expression matches at this earliest
//! character, we use the regular expression that appears first in the `scan` statement.  We then
//! execute the statements in the "winning" regular expression's block.
//!
//! After executing the matching block, we try to match all of the regular expressions again,
//! starting _after_ the text that was just matched.  We continue this process, applying the
//! earliest matching regular expression in each iteration, until we have exhausted the entire
//! string, or none of the regular expressions match.
//!
//! Within each regular expression's block, you can use `$0`, `$1`, etc., to refer to any capture
//! groups in the regular expression.
//!
//! The value being scanned must be local, which means it cannot be derived from scoped variables.
//!
//! For example, if `filepath` is a global variable containing the path of a Python source file,
//! you could use the following `scan` statement to construct graph nodes for the name of the
//! module defined in the file:
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! global filepath
//!
//! (module) @mod
//! {
//!   var new_node = #null
//!   var current_node = (node)
//!
//!   scan filepath {
//!     "([^/]+)/"
//!     {
//!       ; This arm will match any directory component of the file path.  In
//!       ; Python, this gives you the sequence of packages that the module
//!       ; lives in.
//!
//!       ; Note that we keep appending additional tag names to the `current`
//!       ; graph node to create an arbitrary number of graph nodes linked to
//!       ; the @mod syntax node.
//!       set new_node = (node)
//!       attr (new_node) name = $1
//!       edge current_node -> new_node
//!       set current_node = new_node
//!     }
//!
//!     "__init__\\.py$"
//!     {
//!       ; This arm will match a trailing __init__.py, indicating that the
//!       ; module's name comes from the last directory component.
//!
//!       ; Expose the graph node that we created for that component as a
//!       ; scoped variable that later stanzas can see.
//!       let @mod.root = current_node
//!     }
//!
//!     "([^/]+)\\.py$"
//!     {
//!       ; This arm will match any other trailing module name.  Note that
//!       ; __init__.py also matches this regular expression, but since it
//!       ; appears later, the __init__.py clause will take precedence.
//!
//!       set new_node = (node)
//!       attr (new_node) name = $1
//!       edge current_node -> new_node
//!       let @mod.root = new_node
//!     }
//!   }
//! }
//! ```
//!
//! # Conditionals
//!
//! You can use `if` statements to make blocks of statements conditional on optional values.
//! Conditions are comma-separated lists of clauses.  The clause `some EXPRESSION` indicates
//! that the optional value must be present.  The clause `none EXPRESSION` indicates that the
//! optional value is absent.  A bare expression is evaluated as to boolean.  All values in
//! conditions must be local, which means they cannot be derived from scoped variables.
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! (lexical_declaration type:(_)? @type value:(_)? @value)
//! {
//!   if some @type, none @value {
//!     ; ...
//!   } elif some @value {
//!     ; ...
//!   } else {
//!     ; ...
//!   }
//! }
//! ```
//!
//! # List iteration
//!
//! You can use a `for` statement to execute blocks of statements for every element in list
//! values.  The list value must be local, which means it cannot be derived from scoped variables.
//!
//! ```tsg
//! (module (_)* @stmts)
//! {
//!   for stmt in @stmts {
//!     print stmt
//!   }
//! }
//! ```
//!
//! # Debugging
//!
//! To support members of the Ancient and Harmonious Order of Printf Debuggers, you can use `print`
//! statements to print out (to `stderr`) the content of any expressions during the execution of a graph DSL
//! file:
//!
//! ``` tsg
//! (identifier) @id
//! {
//!    let x = 4
//!    print "Hi! x = ", x
//! }
//! ```

pub mod functions;