quex ☆

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Description:
Generate lexical analyzers

Type: Formula | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Developer tools

Tags: parser lexer code-generation compiler scanner

Install: brew install quex

About:
Quex is a powerful tool for generating lexical analyzers, also known as scanners or tokenizers, from regular expressions. It translates high-level pattern definitions into highly efficient C, C++, or Python source code, significantly outperforming traditional tools like Lex or Flex. Its main value proposition is delivering maximum performance for critical applications while offering advanced features like lexer inheritance and state machine visualization.

Key Features:

Generates extremely fast, table-free lexical analyzers
Supports C, C++, and Python code generation
Advanced features like lexer inheritance and state machine visualization
Flexible Unicode support and pattern composition

Use Cases:

Building high-performance parsers for custom programming languages
Creating efficient text processors for data analysis or log parsing
Developing network protocol parsers where speed is critical

Alternatives:

Flex – Flex is a classic, widely available tool, but Quex generates significantly faster code and offers more modern features.
ANTLR – ANTLR is a full parser generator; Quex focuses exclusively on the lexical analysis phase and can be used with ANTLR for a complete solution.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Oct 10, 2024 8:49am		1	VERSION_BUMP	ed2984b2