Parser

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##### Parser

###### Description

The Parser is the most fundamental concept. A Parser has a member function, `parse`, that accepts a first-last `ForwardIterator` pair and returns bool as its result. The iterators delimit the data being parsed. The Parser's `parse` member function returns `true` if the parse succeeds, in which case the first iterator is advanced accordingly. Each Parser can represent a specific pattern or algorithm, or it can be a more complex parser formed as a composition of other Parsers.

Notation

`p`

  A `Parser`.

`P`

  A `Parser` type.

`Iter`

  a `ForwardIterator` type.

`f`, `l`

  `ForwardIterator`. first/last iterator pair.

`Context`

  The parser's Context type.

`context`

  The parser's Context, or `unused`.

`skip`

  A skip Parser, or `unused`.

`attrib`

  A Compatible Attribute, or `unused`.

###### Valid Expressions

In the expressions below, the behavior of the parser, `p`, and how `skip` and `attrib` are handled by `p`, are left unspecified in the base `Parser` concept. These are specified in subsequent, more refined concepts and by the actual models thereof.

For any Parser the following expressions must be valid:

Expression | Semantics | Return type
--- | --- | ---

    p.parse(f, l, context, skip, attr)

Match the input sequence starting from `f`. Return `true` if successful, otherwise return `false`.

`bool`

`p.what(context)` | Get information about a Parser. | `info`

###### Type Expressions

Expression | Description
--- | ---
`P::template attribute<Context, Iter>::type` | The Parser's expected attribute.
`traits::is_parser<P>::type` | Metafunction that evaluates to `mpl::true_` if a certain type, `P` is a Parser, `mpl::false_` otherwise (See MPL Boolean Constant).

###### Postcondition

Upon return from `p.parse` the following post conditions should hold:

- On a successful match, `f` is positioned one past the last matching character/token.
- On a failed match, if a `skip` parser is `unused`, `f` is restored to its original position prior to entry.
- On a failed match, if a `skip` parser is not `unused`, `f` is positioned one past the last character/token matching `skip`.
- On a failed match, `attrib` state is undefined.
- No post-skips: trailing `skip` characters/tokens will not be skipped.

###### Models

All parsers in Spirit.Qi are models of the Parser concept.