superpower

SuperPower parser run time exception: Value cannot be null. Parameter name: parser


I've been asked to create a Superpower parser for a logical statements consisting of 3 types of operators (AND, AND_NOT, OR), parenthesis for grouping, and data values. The data values are integer format, but are identifiers. These are more like rules then mathematical statements.

Sample 1: 20 AND NOT (29 OR 30) Sample 2: 27 AND (9 OR (24 AND 25 AND 27))

Currently I'm getting an exception at run time with an inner message of {"Value cannot be null.\r\nParameter name: parser"}. The stack trace indicates that it occurs at the line where I invoke the TryParse method of the main parser. Can someone offer me some tips on debugging this?

Here's what I have in console application.

Program.cs

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        //SAMPLE DATA
        string input = "20 AND 12";
        //string input = "86 AND NOT 18";
        //string input = "89 AND NOT (87 OR 88)";";
        //string input = "91 AND NOT (94 OR 98 OR 99) AND 12";            
    
        var tokenizer = new TokenizerBuilder<Tokens>()
                    .Ignore(Character.EqualTo(' '))
                    .Match(Character.EqualTo('('), Tokens.LParen)
                    .Match(Character.EqualTo(')'), Tokens.RParen)
                    .Match(Span.EqualTo("AND NOT"), Tokens.AndNot)
                    .Match(Span.EqualTo("AND"), Tokens.And)
                    .Match(Span.EqualTo("OR"), Tokens.Or)
                    .Match(Numerics.Integer, Tokens.ItemNumber)
                    .Build();
    
        var tokens = tokenizer.Tokenize(input); //.Where(x => !x.Kind.Equals(Tokens.Whitespace))
    
        var result = Parsers.Expression.TryParse(tokens);
        if (result.HasValue)
        {
            // input is valid
            var expression = (Expression)result.Value;
    
            // do what you need with it here, i.e. loop through the nodes, output the text, etc.
        }
        else
        {
            // not valid
        }
    }
}

Tokens.cs

public enum Tokens
{
    None,
    Whitespace,

    [Token(Category = "logic", Example = "AND NOT")]
    AndNot,

    [Token(Category = "logic", Example = "AND")]
    And,

    [Token(Category = "logic", Example = "OR")]
    Or,

    [Token(Category = "parenthesis", Example = "(")]
    LParen,

    [Token(Category = "parenthesis", Example = ")")]
    RParen,

    [Token(Category = "data", Example = "XX")]
    ItemNumber
}

Parsers.cs

public static class Parsers
{
    public readonly static TokenListParser<Tokens, Node> Expression =
        ItemNumber.Try().Or(ExpressionNoParens).Try().Or(ExpressionWithParens);
        
    private static readonly TokenListParser<Tokens, Node> LParen =
        Token.EqualTo(Tokens.LParen)
            .Select(i => (Node) new Parenthesis());

    private static readonly TokenListParser<Tokens, Node> RParen =
        Token.EqualTo(Tokens.RParen)
            .Select(i => (Node)new Parenthesis());

    private static readonly TokenListParser<Tokens, Node> ItemNumber =
        ItemNumberNoParens.Try().Or(ItemNumberWithParens);

    private static readonly TokenListParser<Tokens, Node> ItemNumberNoParens =
        Token.EqualTo(Tokens.ItemNumber)
            .Apply(Numerics.IntegerInt32)
            .Select(i => (Node)new ItemNumber(i));

    private static readonly TokenListParser<Tokens, Node> ItemNumberWithParens =
        Token.EqualTo(Tokens.ItemNumber)
            .Between(LParen, RParen)
            .Apply(Numerics.IntegerInt32)
            .Select(i => (Node)new ItemNumber(i));

    private static readonly TokenListParser<Tokens, Node> AndNot =
        Token.EqualTo(Tokens.AndNot)
            .Select(i => (Node)new AndNotOperator());

    private static readonly TokenListParser<Tokens, Node> And =
        Token.EqualTo(Tokens.And)
            .Select(i => (Node)new AndOperator());

    private static readonly TokenListParser<Tokens, Node> Or =
        Token.EqualTo(Tokens.Or)
            .Select(i => (Node)new OrOperator());

    private readonly static TokenListParser<Tokens, Node> Operator =
        AndNot.Try().Or(And).Try().Or(Or);

    private readonly static TokenListParser<Tokens, Node> OperatorExpression =
        from op in Operator
        from ex in Expression
        select (Node) new OperatorExpression(op as Operator, ex as Expression);

    private readonly static TokenListParser<Tokens, Node> ExpressionNoParens =
        from a in Expression
        from op in OperatorExpression.Many()
        select (Node)new ComplexExpression(a as Expression, op as OperatorExpression[]);

    private readonly static TokenListParser<Tokens, Node> ExpressionWithParens =
        from a in Expression
        from op in OperatorExpression.Between(LParen, RParen).Many()
        select (Node)new ComplexExpression(a as Expression, op as OperatorExpression[]);        
}

TokenNodes.cs

public abstract class Node
{
}

public class Parenthesis : Node
{
}

public abstract class Operator: Node
{
}

public class AndNotOperator : Operator
{
}

public class AndOperator : Operator
{
}

public class OrOperator : Operator
{
}

public abstract class Expression : Node
{
}

public class ItemNumber : Expression
{
    public ItemNumber(int value)
    {
        Value = value;
    }

    public int Value { get; set; }
}

public class ComplexExpression : Expression
{
    public ComplexExpression(Expression _exp, OperatorExpression[] _ops)
    {
        Prime = _exp;
        OperatorExpressions = _ops;
    }
    public Expression Prime { get; set; }
    public OperatorExpression[] OperatorExpressions { get; set; }
}

public class OperatorExpression : Node
{
    public OperatorExpression(Operator _op, Expression _exp)
    {
        Operator = _op;
        Expression = _exp;
    }

    public Operator Operator { get; set; }

    public Expression Expression { get; set; }
}

Solution

  • So my quetion was "how can I debug this?!?!", and I've found an answer to that.

    I commented out each of my parser classes and started adding them back in one at a time, starting with the simplest with no dependencies.