I wrote a simple parser, which I tested against the example you provided. If you want to know more about parsing I suggest you to read Compiler Construction from Niklaus Wirth.
The first step is always to write down the syntax of your language in an appropriate way. I have chosen EBNF, which is very simple to understand.
| separates alternatives.
[ and ] enclose options.
{ and } denote repetitions (zero, one or more).
( and ) group expressions (not used here).
This description is not complete but the link I provided describes it in more detail.
The EBNF syntax
LineSequence = { TextLine | IfStatement }.
TextLine = <string>.
IfStatement = IfLine LineSequence { ElseIfLine LineSequence } [ ElseLine LineSequence ] EndLine.
IfLine = "#if" "(" Condition ")".
ElseLine = "#else".
ElseIfLine = "#else" "if" "(" Condition ")".
EndLine = "#end".
Condition = Identifier "=" Identifier.
Identifier = <letter_or_underline> { <letter_or_underline> | <digit> }.
The parser follows closely the syntax, i.e. a repetition is translated into a loop, an alternative into an if-else statement, and so on. The syntax elements (productions) are realized by methods that can be called recursively. This reflects the recursive nature of the syntax. E.g., an IfStatement can contain yet another IfStatement in one if its branches.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
namespace Example.SqlPreprocessor;
class Parser
{
enum Symbol
{
None,
LPar,
RPar,
Equals,
Text,
NumberIf,
If,
NumberElse,
NumberEnd,
Identifier
}
List<string> _input; // Raw SQL with preprocessor directives.
int _currentLineIndex = 0;
// Simulates variables used in conditions
readonly Dictionary<string, string> _variableValues = new() {
{ "VariableA", "Case1" },
{ "VariableB", "CaseX" }
};
Symbol _sy; // Current symbol.
string _string; // Identifier or text line;
readonly Queue<string> _textQueue = new(); // Buffered text parts of a single line.
int _lineNo; // Current line number for error messages.
string _line; // Current line for error messages.
/// <summary>
/// Get the next line from the input.
/// </summary>
/// <returns>Input line or null if no more lines are available.</returns>
string GetLine()
{
if (_currentLineIndex >= _input.Count) {
return null;
}
_line = _input[_currentLineIndex++];
_lineNo = _currentLineIndex;
return _line;
}
/// <summary>
/// Get the next symbol from the input stream and stores it in _sy.
/// </summary>
void GetSy()
{
string s;
if (_textQueue.Count > 0) { // Buffered text parts available, use one from these.
s = _textQueue.Dequeue();
switch (s.ToLower()) {
case "(":
_sy = Symbol.LPar;
break;
case ")":
_sy = Symbol.RPar;
break;
case "=":
_sy = Symbol.Equals;
break;
case "if":
_sy = Symbol.If;
break;
default:
_sy = Symbol.Identifier;
_string = s;
break;
}
return;
}
// Get next line from input.
s = GetLine();
if (s == null) {
_sy = Symbol.None;
return;
}
s = s.Trim(' ', '\t');
if (s[0] == '#') { // We have a preprocessor directive.
// Split the line in order to be able get its symbols.
string[] parts = Regex.Split(s, @"\b|[^#_a-zA-Z0-9()=]");
// parts[0] = #
// parts[1] = if, else, end
switch (parts[1].ToLower()) {
case "if":
_sy = Symbol.NumberIf;
break;
case "else":
_sy = Symbol.NumberElse;
break;
case "end":
_sy = Symbol.NumberEnd;
break;
default:
Error("Invalid symbol #{0}", parts[1]);
break;
}
// Store the remaining parts for later.
for (int i = 2; i < parts.Length; i++) {
string part = parts[i].Trim(' ', '\t');
if (part != "") {
_textQueue.Enqueue(part);
}
}
} else { // We have an ordinary SQL text line.
_sy = Symbol.Text;
_string = s;
}
}
void Error(string message, params object[] args)
{
// Make sure parsing stops here
_sy = Symbol.None;
_textQueue.Clear();
_input.Clear();
message = String.Format(message, args) + $" in line {_lineNo}\r\n\r\n{_line}";
Output("------");
Output(message);
Console.WriteLine("!!! Error: " + message);
}
/// <summary>
/// Writes the processed line to a (simulated) output stream.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="line">Line to be written to output</param>
static void Output(string line)
{
Console.WriteLine(line);
}
/// <summary>
/// Starts the parsing process.
/// </summary>
public void Parse()
{
// Simulate an input stream.
_input = [
"select column1",
"from",
"#if(VariableA = Case1)",
" #if(VariableB = Case3)",
" table3",
" #else",
" table4",
" #end",
"#else if(VariableA = Case2)",
" table2",
"#else",
" defaultTable",
"#end"
];
// Clear previous parsing
_textQueue.Clear();
_currentLineIndex = 0;
// Get first symbol and start parsing
GetSy();
if (LineSequence(true)) { // Finished parsing successfully.
//TODO: Do something with the generated SQL
} else { // Error encountered.
Output("*** ABORTED ***");
}
}
// The following methods parse according the the EBNF syntax.
bool LineSequence(bool writeOutput)
{
// EBNF: LineSequence = { TextLine | IfStatement }.
while (_sy is Symbol.Text or Symbol.NumberIf) {
if (_sy == Symbol.Text) {
if (!TextLine(writeOutput)) {
return false;
}
} else { // _sy == Symbol.NumberIf
if (!IfStatement(writeOutput)) {
return false;
}
}
}
return true;
}
bool TextLine(bool writeOutput)
{
// EBNF: TextLine = <string>.
if (writeOutput) {
Output(_string);
}
GetSy();
return true;
}
bool IfStatement(bool writeOutput)
{
// EBNF: IfStatement = IfLine LineSequence { ElseIfLine LineSequence } [ ElseLine LineSequence ] EndLine.
if (IfLine(out bool result) && LineSequence(writeOutput && result)) {
writeOutput &= !result; // Only one section can produce an output.
while (_sy == Symbol.NumberElse) {
GetSy();
if (_sy == Symbol.If) { // We have an #else if
if (!ElseIfLine(out result)) {
return false;
}
if (!LineSequence(writeOutput && result)) {
return false;
}
writeOutput &= !result; // Only one section can produce an output.
} else { // We have a simple #else
if (!LineSequence(writeOutput)) {
return false;
}
break; // We can have only one #else statement.
}
}
if (_sy != Symbol.NumberEnd) {
Error("'#end' expected");
return false;
}
GetSy();
return true;
}
return false;
}
bool IfLine(out bool result)
{
// EBNF: IfLine = "#if" "(" Condition ")".
result = false;
GetSy();
if (_sy != Symbol.LPar) {
Error("'(' expected");
return false;
}
GetSy();
if (!Condition(out result)) {
return false;
}
if (_sy != Symbol.RPar) {
Error("')' expected");
return false;
}
GetSy();
return true;
}
private bool Condition(out bool result)
{
// EBNF: Condition = Identifier "=" Identifier.
string variable;
string expectedValue;
result = false;
// Identifier "=" Identifier
if (_sy != Symbol.Identifier) {
Error("Identifier expected");
return false;
}
variable = _string; // The first identifier is a variable.
GetSy();
if (_sy != Symbol.Equals) {
Error("'=' expected");
return false;
}
GetSy();
if (_sy != Symbol.Identifier) {
Error("Value expected");
return false;
}
expectedValue = _string; // The second identifier is a value.
// Search the variable
if (_variableValues.TryGetValue(variable, out string variableValue)) {
result = variableValue == expectedValue; // Perform the comparison.
} else {
Error("Variable '{0}' not found", variable);
return false;
}
GetSy();
return true;
}
bool ElseIfLine(out bool result)
{
// EBNF: ElseIfLine = "#else" "if" "(" Condition ")".
result = false;
GetSy(); // "#else" already processed here, we are only called if the symbol is "if"
if (_sy != Symbol.LPar) {
Error("'(' expected");
return false;
}
GetSy();
if (!Condition(out result)) {
return false;
}
if (_sy != Symbol.RPar) {
Error("')' expected");
return false;
}
GetSy();
return true;
}
}
Note that the nested if-statements are processed automatically in a quite natural way. First, the grammar is expressed recursively. A LineSequence can contain IfStatments and IfStatments contain LineSequences. Second, this results in syntax processing methods that call each other in a recursive manner. The nesting of syntax elements is therefore translated into recursive method calls.
