The Runtime Theory

How How a Parser Turns Tokens Into Structure works

An interactive concept flow for how a parser turns tokens into structure, from its assumptions through the main operation and boundary checks.

The Runtime Theory Team05 stages

trace / request.md

CONTRACTREPRESENTATIONOPERATIONBOUNDARYRESULT

readyA lexer groups characters into tokens such as identifiers, numbers, and punctuation. A parser consumes that token stream according to a grammar and builds a structured representation, often an abstract syntax tree. Separating these jobs makes it easier to handle whitespace, literals, precedence, and syntax errors coherently.

Use the stages in order to explain how a parser turns tokens into structure. Each stage makes one assumption visible: what the operation promises, what representation it uses, how state changes, which boundary can invalidate a shortcut, and what evidence confirms the result.

For a worked explanation, continue to the topic article and execution trace.

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