libmarpa
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Description:
Marpa parse engine C library -- STABLE
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Developer tools
Tags: parser parsing bnf grammar c-library language-processing
Install: brew install libmarpa
About:
Libmarpa is a C library that implements the Marpa parsing algorithm, a general BNF parser that is both powerful and efficient. It handles ambiguous grammars, left-recursion, and provides linear-time parsing for most practical grammars. Its main value is enabling robust and high-performance parsing solutions for complex languages.
Key Features:
  • Handles ambiguous grammars efficiently
  • Supports left-recursion and all major BNF forms
  • Linear-time parsing for most practical grammars
  • C library for high performance and portability
Use Cases:
  • Building parsers for programming languages
  • Parsing complex configuration or data formats
  • Developing natural language processing tools
Alternatives:
  • ANTLR – ANTLR is a popular parser generator with broader language targets, while Libmarpa is a C library focused on the advanced Marpa algorithm.
  • Bison/Yacc – Bison is LALR-based and requires more restrictive grammars, whereas Libmarpa handles ambiguous and left-recursive grammars more naturally.
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 14, 2024 2:31pm 0 VERSION_BUMP faada5df