The GF Grammar Development Tools

Thomas Hallgren & Aarne Ranta

2nd MOLTO Project Meeting

Göteborg, March 2011

Abstract, Compiler API, Molto Deliverable 2.1

GF Grammar Development Environment

Past - Present - Future

GF Grammar Development Environment

Traditional

• Generic text editor
• GF documentation
• GF command shell

GF Grammar Development Environment → Traditional

Generic text editor

• Little, if any, GF support
• Maybe syntax high-lighting

GF Grammar Development Environment → Traditional

GF documentation

• www.grammaticalframework.org
  • Tutorials
  • Reference material
• The GF book

GF Grammar Development Environment → Traditional

GF command shell

• Grammar compilation
• Error detection
• Testing
• Visualization

Towards a GF IDE

Different types of users

• Experts - productivity
  • Can use traditional environment, but
  • MOLTO promises an order of magnitude improvement in productivity
• Beginners - teaching tools
  • Minimal effort to get started
  • Guidance

GF IDE for beginners

The GF online editor for simple multilingual grammars

Prototype

• Subset of GF
• Web-based
  • Quick access, no software to download and install
  • Portability, works on multiple plaforms
    • Linux, Mac, Windows
    • Touch-based Android and iOS devices
    • HTML5 + JavaScript

GF IDE for beginners → The GF online editor for simple multilingual grammars → Prototype

User guidance

• Error avoidance
• Agreement between abstract and concrete syntax
• Some error detection integrated in editor
  • Overall syntax
  • Scoping

GF IDE for beginners → The GF online editor for simple multilingual grammars → Prototype

Integrated testing and visualization

• Minibar
• Translation Quiz
• Traditional GF shell

GF IDE for beginners → The GF online editor for simple multilingual grammars

Future work

• Cloud-based grammar storage and sharing
• Export and import grammars
• More efficient editing
  • Keyboard access to all editing operations
• Use GF compiler API to add more functionality
• ...

GF IDE for experts

What IDE platform to build on?

• Eclipse, Xcode?
• Emacs, Vi, Geany?
• Google Docs? Collaboration.
• Our own web-based solution?
  • In JavaScript, GWT or Haskell?
  • Suport offline editing?
  • Support touch-based devices?
• Who will do the work?

GF Compiler API

• IDE should interface to existing GF compiler
• Good API
  • Clear separation
    • Keep compiler internals internal!
  • Simple data structures
    • Support client-server architecture
• What API support was used in our prototype?
  • None!
• Web service API