CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#.netparsingtypescript
Harry
Harry

Reputation: 4946

.NET TypeScript parser to AST

I'm looking for TypeScript parser which produces AST (Abstract Syntax Tree) from TypeScript code, like code created with Visual Studio.

I think Visual Studio must have such parser since it uses it for code intelligence.

I know I can compile TS to JS and then use like Jint to produce AST, but it's no good for me. I need strict relation between AST nodes and original lines in TS source.

Is there a way to put my hands on a VS / Windows dll to get AST, or maybe there is a library providing such functionality? I've done some research and all I found was very incomplete and limited.

There is a Microsoft TypeScript compiler written in TypeScript, but how to use it from C#? Would it be fast enough to parse edited code in real-time?

For the sake of clarification: I need the parser written in C# or in C++ with C# bindings. Or... OK, it could be written in any language, but accessible from the level of C# code. I'm afraid I'll have to write my own parser, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel.

The point is I want to visualize the code. I do not want the code to be executed from C#. I only want to see its structure and it has to be accurate, no missing elements.

Most parsers / compilers I've seen had thousands LOC written in solely purpose of executing scripts. They covered very limited subset of the language syntax. I need just the opposite. No running, but full syntax. Without control structures, they are irrelevant to my visualization. All I need from AST are function declarations and object definition declarations.

I know there is a parser / compiler of almost every imaginable language written in JavaScript, but are there any good written in C#?

Upvotes: 4

Views: 3338

Answers (1)

basarat
basarat

Reputation: 275857

I'm looking for TypeScript parser which produces AST (Abstract Syntax Tree) from TypeScript code, like code created with Visual Studio.

Checkout this section : http://basarat.gitbooks.io/typescript/content/docs/compiler/parser.html

Here is a code sample to print out the AST: 

import * as ts from "ntypescript";

function printAllChildren(node: ts.Node, depth = 0) {
    console.log(new Array(depth + 1).join('----'), ts.syntaxKindToName(node.kind), node.pos, node.end);
    depth++;
    node.getChildren().forEach(c=> printAllChildren(c, depth));
}

var sourceCode = `
var foo = 123;
`.trim();

var sourceFile = ts.createSourceFile('foo.ts', sourceCode, ts.ScriptTarget.ES5, true);
printAllChildren(sourceFile);

Upvotes: 6

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