A pass file holds the NLP++ code and rules associated with a Pattern or Recursive pass type. Five zones divide a pass file and are ordered as follows:
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ZONE |
DESCRIPTION |
|
Declare |
Contains user-defined NLP++ function definitions. |
|
Code |
Contains NLP++ code that is independent of rule matching. |
|
Context |
Selects nodes of the parse tree. Rules will match only against the phrases immediately under the selected nodes. |
|
Minipass |
Contains nested minipasses called Recurse Regions. Each Recurse Region is named and contains a Grammar Region. Rule elements in the Grammar Zone can invoke these named rule sets. |
|
Grammar |
Contains the main Grammar Region of the current pass file. |
A minimal pass file may consist solely of a Code Zone or a Grammar Zone.
If absent, the Context Zone defaults to the selector
@NODES _ROOT
which traverses the phrase immediately below the root of the parse tree, invoking the rule matcher on each node of the phrase.
The '@' sign is a reserved character that indicates the start of a region (e.g., @CODE) or a selector (e.g., @NODES).
To indicate the end of a region, the name of the region preceded by two '@' signs is used. The end of a Code Region is indicated by @@CODE. End markers are optional in most cases.
A lone @@ marker indicates the end of a rule, e.g.,
_NP <- _NOUN @@
Pass file markers are case-insensitive. A marker such as @PRE can be written as @pre.
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Note: Unlike pass file markers, NLP++ functions and actions are case-sensitive. |
Code Zone
Context Zone
Minipass Zone
Grammar Zone