CODEWITHSUNDEEP
bnfdiagramming
aleemb
aleemb

Reputation: 32085

Tool for generating railroad diagram used on json.org

I love the syntax of railroad diagrams on json.org which are a graphical representation of the BNF language. I haven't found any tools that can produce results as eloquently.

Can anyone identify the tool used to generate these diagrams?

Upvotes: 110

Views: 33609

Answers (9)

eQ19
eQ19

Reputation: 10701

I have been looking also for the tools used to generate these Syntax Diagrams and if possible in js library so it can be edited and displayed without awaiting a boring time for a graphic to come.

I know there are tools out there but I would say that the generator from www.bottlecaps.de has a nice graphic with color option. Unfortunately I could not get source code of the tool it self there.

I went also to the related questions of answers here but got only followings where we can get it as open source js library and provided with an online demo where we can try and play with.

Upvotes: 5

Peter Ajtai
Peter Ajtai

Reputation: 57685

There is an Online Railroad Diagram Generator. It creates SVG syntax diagrams, also known as railroad diagrams, from context-free grammars specified in EBNF. You can copy the SVG code or take screen shots.

You have to type in the grammar and it'll make the diagram.

For example, to create the first railroad diagram you show, you would use the code:

object ::= '{' ((string ':' value ) ( ',' string ':' value )*)? '}'

enter image description here

Then you could go on to define string and value using string ::= ... and value ::= ... The references are all shown.

Check out some of the example diagrams on the page. They have XML and even EBNF itself.

Upvotes: 104

Potherca
Potherca

Reputation: 14590

Tab Atkins Jr. created a Javascript Railroad-diagram Generator using specifically because he could not find one that had the visual appeal he wanted , i.e. "the JSON.org look".

Upvotes: 31

Wendel
Wendel

Reputation: 2977

I found J-algo tool. I think it is very easy to draw diagram but I can't export to image or another type.

enter image description here

http://j-algo.binaervarianz.de/index.php

Upvotes: 4

Leslie Turriff
Leslie Turriff

Reputation: 41

One of the things that IBM's railroad track generator handles well is default values. I have not seen another generator that does this.

An example is

          ┌─────◀────┐┌(──«defaults»─)─┐                        
▶▶─COMMAND┴«argument»┴┼────────────────┼──────────────────────▶◀
                      │ ┌────◀─────┐   │                        
                      └(┴┬«option»┬┴┬─┬┘                        
                         └Help────┘ └)┘

Upvotes: 4

Ron
Ron

Reputation: 9

I seem to remember that IBM has a tool that builds such diagrams as part of their BookMaster SGML suite. Railroad diagrams are often used in mainframe documentation.

Upvotes: 0

Mike Samuel
Mike Samuel

Reputation: 120516

Take a look at http://code.google.com/p/html-railroad-diagram/ which generates HTML railroad diagrams. There is an example that shows the JSON railroad generated in an HTML page by JavaScript with links.

Upvotes: 0

aleemb
aleemb

Reputation: 32085

from Douglas Crockford
to Aleem B
date Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 6:01 PM
subject Re: Railroad Diagrams on json.org

I drew them with Visio. Creative Docs.NET also works well.

--

Aleem B wrote:

Hello Douglas,

I thoroughly enjoy most things you put out there and the railroad diagrams on json.org are no different. I have been trying to look around for a tool that would generate diagrams nearly as eloquent but have had no luck:

Tool for generating railroad diagram used on json.org

Is there some tool you used to convert the BNF to these diagrams or were they hand crafted?

-- Aleem

Upvotes: 54

coobird
coobird

Reputation: 160974

There was a similar question a few days ago: What is a good tool for creating railroad diagrams?

That question was about how railroad diagrams in the SQLite syntax diagrams were generated. The accepted answer found that the diagrams were generated using a DSL written in Tcl.

Another answer offered a suggestion to use a diagram generator which works off of EBNL grammar.

Upvotes: 9

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