[Commit] mint-2004b intro.tex,1.4,1.5

[Keith Packard]

Committed by: keithp

Update of /local/src/CVS/mint-2004b
In directory home.keithp.com:/tmp/cvs-serv26815

Modified Files:
	intro.tex 
Log Message:
Lame reference to dragon and fraser books

Index: intro.tex
===================================================================
RCS file: /local/src/CVS/mint-2004b/intro.tex,v
retrieving revision 1.4
retrieving revision 1.5
diff -u -d -r1.4 -r1.5
--- intro.tex	1 Dec 2004 21:18:35 -0000	1.4
+++ intro.tex	1 Dec 2004 22:31:01 -0000	1.5
@@ -12,6 +12,18 @@
 Lex and Yacc~\cite{lexyacc} are both exemplars of and models
 for this approach.
 
+That parser generation is a commonly accepted technique is well evident in
+the relative amount of discussion given by early~\cite{greendragon} and
+newer~\cite{reddragon} (but not new, by any means) compiler construction
+books.  The older text prominantly discusses the relative merits of LL,
+Recursive Descent and machine generated LALR parsers.  However, all of the
+technical focus in the newer generation book is on the back-end -- semantic
+analysis and code generation, the parser itself is passed over quickly in
+the authors haste to get on to something interesting.
+
+One wonders why some authors bother to describe ad-hoc lexing and parsing
+techniques in more recent texts~\cite{fraserhanson}.
+
 In this environment, constructing yet another parser
 generator requires powerful motivation and careful
 consideration.  Nonetheless, the authors have constructed