error: expected identifier before ‘(’ token

[nina01]

Hi!
I'm working on a mini compiler with flex and bison. The ".l" and ".y" files are generated successfully. However, when I try to compile the hole thing using the command "gcc -o comp comp.tab.c lex.yy.c ", I keep having this error :-(

In file included from comp.l:4:
comp.tab.h:56: error: expected identifier before ‘(’ token

It's supposed to be a syntax error but I honestly don't know where does it come from knowing that the file "comp.tab.h " is generated by bison...

*******comp.tab .h******

/* A Bison parser, made by GNU Bison 2.3.  */
....
......
/* Tokens.  */
#ifndef YYTOKENTYPE
# define YYTOKENTYPE
   /* Put the tokens into the symbol table, so that GDB and other debuggers
      know about them.  */
   enum yytokentype {
     INTEGER_LITERAL = 258,
     IDENTIFIER = 259,
     MULT = 260,
     INT = 261,
     NEW = 262,
     THIS = 263,
     BOOLEAN = 264,
     IF = 265,
     WHILE = 266,
     SYSTEM_OUT_PRINTLN = 267,
     LENGTH = 268,
     FALSE = 269,
     TRUE = 270,
     ELSE = 271,
     EOF = 272,
     AND = 273,
     MINUS = 274,
     INF = 275,
     PLUS = 276
   };
#endif
/* Tokens.  */
#define INTEGER_LITERAL 258
#define IDENTIFIER 259
#define MULT 260
#define INT 261
#define NEW 262
#define THIS 263
#define BOOLEAN 264
#define IF 265
#define WHILE 266
#define SYSTEM_OUT_PRINTLN 267
#define LENGTH 268
#define FALSE 269
#define TRUE 270
#define ELSE 271
#define EOF 272     [B]// line 56[/B]
#define AND 273
#define MINUS 274
#define INF 275
#define PLUS 276

#if ! defined YYSTYPE && ! defined YYSTYPE_IS_DECLARED
typedef int YYSTYPE;
# define yystype YYSTYPE /* obsolescent; will be withdrawn */
# define YYSTYPE_IS_DECLARED 1
# define YYSTYPE_IS_TRIVIAL 1
#endif

extern YYSTYPE yylval;

HELP please!
Thanks in advance!

[newb16]

Is anything included before, like
stdin.h, where..

#define	EOF	(-1)

Try to change EOF to something else...

[nina01]

Hi again,
In fact I removed the lines "EOF=272" & "#define EOF 272" and the error disappeared... I guess there was a name collision or something like that...

[donbock]

Did you define a token named EOF in your grammar? If so, then you may have inadvertently directed bison to create the namespace collision. Try renaming your token and rebuilding.

[JosAH]

Hi again,
In fact I removed the lines "EOF=272" & "#define EOF 272" and the error disappeared... I guess there was a name collision or something like that...

Before you include that generated bison file better undefine that EOF macro first; removeing it from the list mutilates the tokenizer and it won't work properly anymore. Add the following lines before you include that generated file:

#ifdef EOF
#undef EOF
#endif

Or simply use another name in your .l or .y file, e.g. ENDF will do.

kind regards,

Jos

[nina01]

I've renamed the token and now it works.
Thanks for all those who replied to my question!