Nim Package of the Week: npeg

npeg is a package for Nim implementing PEGs or Parser Expression Grammars. This allows you to express complex parsing operations in a semi-standardized and concise manner while offering more flexibility than Regular Expressions have.

Examples speak more than words, here is an npeg example from its README:

import npeg, strutils, tables

type Dict = Table[string, int]

let parser = peg("pairs", d: Dict):
  pairs <- pair * *(',' * pair) * !1
  word <- +Alpha
  number <- +Digit
  pair <- >word * '=' * >number:
        d[$1] = parseInt($2)

var words: Table[string, int]
doAssert parser.match("one=1,two=2,three=3,four=4", words).ok
echo words

The above parses the string one=1,two=2,three=3,four=4 into a Dict by key and value.

Aside from providing nice macros and syntax to define PEGs the npeg package also contains one of the most complete READMEs dense with information on how to write and handle PEGs for parsing.

The Nim Package of the Week is a series on Nim packages that make up the ecosystem where a new article appears weekly on a library that you should know about.