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    1/*  Part of SWI-Prolog
    2
    3    Author:        Jan Wielemaker
    4    E-mail:        jan@swi-prolog.org
    5    WWW:           https://www.swi-prolog.org
    6    Copyright (C): 2008-2026, University of Amsterdam
    7                              VU University Amsterdam
    8                              SWI-Prolog Solutions b.v.
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   35*/
   36
   37:- module(pure_input,
   38          [ phrase_from_file/2,         % :Grammar, +File
   39            phrase_from_file/3,         % :Grammar, +File, +Options
   40            phrase_from_stream/2,       % :Grammar, +Stream
   41            phrase_from_stream/3,       % :Grammar, +Stream, +Options
   42            stream_to_lazy_codes/2,     % :Stream -Codes
   43            stream_to_lazy_chars/2,     % :Stream -Chars
   44            stream_to_lazy_list/2,      % :Stream -Codes
   45
   46            syntax_error//1,            % +ErrorTerm
   47                                        % Low level interface
   48            lazy_list_location//1,      % -Location
   49            lazy_list_character_count//1 % -CharacterCount
   50          ]).   51:- autoload(library(error), [type_error/2, permission_error/3, must_be/2]).   52:- autoload(library(option), [option/3]).   53
   54:- set_prolog_flag(generate_debug_info, false).

Pure Input from files and streams

This module is part of pio.pl, dealing with pure input: processing input streams from the outside world using pure predicates, notably grammar rules (DCG). Using pure predicates makes non-deterministic processing of input much simpler.

Pure input uses attributed variables to read input from the external source into a list on demand. The overhead of lazy reading is more than compensated for by using block reads based on read_pending_codes/3.

Ulrich Neumerkel came up with the idea to use coroutining for creating a lazy list. His implementation repositioned the file to deal with re-reading that can be necessary on backtracking. The current implementation uses destructive assignment together with more low-level attribute handling to realise pure input on any (buffered) stream.

To be done
- Provide support for alternative input readers, e.g. reading terms, tokens, etc.
   77:- predicate_options(phrase_from_stream/3, 3,
   78                     [ as(oneof([codes,chars]))
   79                     ]).   80:- predicate_options(phrase_from_file/3, 3,
   81                     [ pass_to(system:open/4, 4),
   82                       pass_to(phrase_from_stream/3, 3)
   83                     ]).
 phrase_from_file(:Grammar, +File) is nondet
 phrase_from_file(:Grammar, +File, +Options) is nondet
Process the content of File using the DCG rule Grammar. The space usage of this mechanism depends on the length of the not committed part of Grammar. Committed parts of the temporary list are reclaimed by the garbage collector, while the list is extended on demand due to unification of the attributed tail variable.

Options are passed to open/4 and phrase_from_stream/3. The latter notable allows for as(chars) to call a DCG compiled for dealing with character lists rather than codes.

Below is an example that counts the number of times a string appears in a file. The library dcg/basics provides string//1 matching an arbitrary string and remainder//1 which matches the remainder of the input without parsing.

:- use_module(library(dcg/basics)).

file_contains(File, Pattern) :-
        phrase_from_file(match(Pattern), File).

match(Pattern) -->
        string(_),
        string(Pattern),
        remainder(_).

match_count(File, Pattern, Count) :-
        aggregate_all(count, file_contains(File, Pattern), Count).

This can be called as (note that the pattern must be a string (code list)):

?- match_count('pure_input.pl', `file`, Count).
  125:- meta_predicate
  126    phrase_from_file(//, +),
  127    phrase_from_file(//, +, +),
  128    phrase_from_stream(//, +).  129
  130phrase_from_file(Grammar, File) :-
  131    phrase_from_file(Grammar, File, []).
  132
  133phrase_from_file(Grammar, File, Options) :-
  134    setup_call_cleanup(
  135        open(File, read, In, Options),
  136        phrase_from_stream(Grammar, In, Options),
  137        close(In)).
 phrase_from_stream(:Grammar, +Stream)
 phrase_from_stream(:Grammar, +Stream, +Options)
Run Grammer against the character codes on Stream. Stream must be buffered. Options:
as(Type)
Where Type is one of codes (default) or chars. See also stream_to_lazy_codes/2 and stream_to_lazy_chars/2.
  149phrase_from_stream(Grammar, In) :-
  150    phrase_from_stream(Grammar, In, []).
  151
  152phrase_from_stream(Grammar, In, Options) :-
  153    option(as(Type), Options, codes),
  154    must_be(oneof([codes,chars]), Type),
  155    stream_to_lazy_list(In, List, Type),
  156    phrase(Grammar, List).
 syntax_error(+Error)//
Throw the syntax error Error at the current location of the input. This predicate is designed to be called from the handler of phrase_from_file/3.
throws
- error(syntax_error(Error), Location)
  166syntax_error(Error) -->
  167    lazy_list_location(Location),
  168    { throw(error(syntax_error(Error), Location))
  169    }.
 lazy_list_location(-Location)// is det
Determine current (error) location in a lazy list. True when Location is an (error) location term that represents the current location in the DCG list.
Arguments:
Location- is a term file(Name, Line, LinePos, CharNo) or stream(Stream, Line, LinePos, CharNo) if no file is associated to the stream RestLazyList. Finally, if the Lazy list is fully materialized (ends in []), Location is unified with end_of_file-CharCount.
See also
- lazy_list_character_count//1 only provides the character count.
  185lazy_list_location(Location, Here, Here) :-
  186    lazy_list_location(Here, Location).
  187
  188lazy_list_location(Here, Location) :-
  189    '$skip_list'(Skipped, Here, Tail),
  190    (   attvar(Tail)
  191    ->  get_attr(Tail, pure_input, State),
  192        State = lazy_input(Stream, PrevPos, Pos, _Type, _),
  193        Details = [Line, LinePos, CharNo],
  194        (   stream_property(Stream, file_name(File))
  195        ->  PosParts = [file, File|Details]
  196        ;   PosParts = [stream, Stream|Details]
  197        ),
  198        Location =.. PosParts,
  199        (   PrevPos == (-)                  % nothing is read.
  200        ->  Line = 1, LinePos = 0, CharNo = 0
  201        ;   stream_position_data(char_count, Pos, EndRecordCharNo),
  202            CharNo is EndRecordCharNo - Skipped,
  203            set_stream_position(Stream, PrevPos),
  204            stream_position_data(char_count, PrevPos, StartRecordCharNo),
  205            Skip is CharNo-StartRecordCharNo,
  206            forall(between(1, Skip, _), get_code(Stream, _)),
  207            stream_property(Stream, position(ErrorPos)),
  208            stream_position_data(line_count, ErrorPos, Line),
  209            stream_position_data(line_position, ErrorPos, LinePos)
  210        )
  211    ;   Tail == []
  212    ->  Location = end_of_file-Skipped
  213    ;   type_error(lazy_list, Here)
  214    ).
 lazy_list_character_count(-CharCount)//
True when CharCount is the current character count in the Lazy list. The character count is computed by finding the distance to the next frozen tail of the lazy list. CharCount is one of:
See also
- lazy_list_location//1 provides full details of the location for error reporting.
  229lazy_list_character_count(Location, Here, Here) :-
  230    lazy_list_character_count(Here, Location).
  231
  232lazy_list_character_count(Here, CharNo) :-
  233    '$skip_list'(Skipped, Here, Tail),
  234    (   attvar(Tail)
  235    ->  get_attr(Tail, pure_input, State),
  236        arg(3, State, Pos),
  237        stream_position_data(char_count, Pos, EndRecordCharNo),
  238        CharNo is EndRecordCharNo - Skipped
  239    ;   Tail == []
  240    ->  CharNo = end_of_file-Skipped
  241    ;   type_error(lazy_list, Here)
  242    ).
 stream_to_lazy_codes(+Stream, -List) is det
 stream_to_lazy_chars(+Stream, -List) is det
 stream_to_lazy_list(+Stream, -List) is det
Create a lazy list representing the character codes (chars) in Stream. List is a partial list ending in an attributed variable. Unifying this variable reads the next block of data. The block is stored with the attribute value such that there is no need to re-read it.
deprecated
- stream_to_lazy_list/2 is a backward compatibility alias for stream_to_lazy_codes/2.
Compatibility
- Unlike the previous version of this predicate this version does not require a repositionable stream. It does require a buffer size of at least the maximum number of bytes of a multi-byte sequence (6).
  262stream_to_lazy_codes(Stream, List) :-
  263    stream_to_lazy_list(Stream, List, codes).
  264stream_to_lazy_chars(Stream, List) :-
  265    stream_to_lazy_list(Stream, List, chars).
  266stream_to_lazy_list(Stream, List) :-
  267    stream_to_lazy_list(Stream, List, codes).
  268
  269stream_to_lazy_list(Stream, List, Type) :-
  270    (   stream_property(Stream, buffer(false))
  271    ->  permission_error(create, lazy_list, Stream)
  272    ;   true
  273    ),
  274    stream_to_lazy_list(Stream, -, Type, List).
  275
  276stream_to_lazy_list(Stream, PrevPos, Type, List) :-
  277    stream_property(Stream, position(Pos)),
  278    put_attr(List, pure_input, lazy_input(Stream, PrevPos, Pos, Type, _)).
  279
  280attr_unify_hook(State, Value) :-
  281    '$notrace'(attr_unify_hook_ndebug(State, Value)).
  282
  283attr_unify_hook_ndebug(State, Value) :-
  284    State = lazy_input(Stream, _PrevPos, Pos, Type, Read),
  285    (   var(Read)
  286    ->  fill_buffer(Stream),
  287        (   Type == codes
  288        ->  read_pending_codes(Stream, NewList, Tail)
  289        ;   read_pending_chars(Stream, NewList, Tail)
  290        ),
  291        (   Tail == []
  292        ->  nb_setarg(5, State, []),
  293            Value = []
  294        ;   stream_to_lazy_list(Stream, Pos, Type, Tail),
  295            nb_linkarg(5, State, NewList),
  296            Value = NewList
  297        )
  298    ;   Value = Read
  299    )