GAST, daou naer!
================
A generic AST to represent Python2 and Python3's Abstract Syntax Tree(AST).
GAST provides a compatibility layer between the AST of various Python versions,
as produced by ``ast.parse`` from the standard ``ast`` module.
Basic Usage
-----------
.. code:: python
>>> import ast, gast
>>> code = open('file.py').read()
>>> tree = ast.parse(code)
>>> gtree = gast.ast_to_gast(tree)
>>> ... # process gtree
>>> tree = gast.gast_to_ast(gtree)
>>> ... # do stuff specific to tree
API
---
``gast`` provides the same API as the ``ast`` module. All functions and classes
from the ``ast`` module are also available in the ``gast`` module, and work
accordingly on the ``gast`` tree.
Three notable exceptions:
1. ``gast.parse`` directly produces a GAST node. It's equivalent to running
``gast.ast_to_gast`` on the output of ``ast.parse``.
2. ``gast.dump`` dumps the ``gast`` common representation, not the original
one.
3. ``gast.gast_to_ast`` and ``gast.ast_to_gast`` can be used to convert
from one ast to the other, back and forth.
Version Compatibility
---------------------
GAST is tested using ``tox`` and Travis on the following Python versions:
- 2.7
- 3.4
- 3.5
- 3.6
- 3.7
- 3.8
- 3.9
- 3.10
- 3.11
AST Changes
-----------
Python3
*******
The AST used by GAST is the same as the one used in Python3.9, with the
notable exception of ``ast.arg`` being replaced by an ``ast.Name`` with an
``ast.Param`` context.
The ``name`` field of ``ExceptHandler`` is represented as an ``ast.Name`` with
an ``ast.Store`` context and not a ``str``.
For minor version before 3.9, please note that ``ExtSlice`` and ``Index`` are
not used.
For minor version before 3.8, please note that ``Ellipsis``, ``Num``, ``Str``,
``Bytes`` and ``NamedConstant`` are represented as ``Constant``.
Python2
*******
To cope with Python3 features, several nodes from the Python2 AST are extended
with some new attributes/children, or represented by different nodes
- ``ModuleDef`` nodes have a ``type_ignores`` attribute.
- ``FunctionDef`` nodes have a ``returns`` attribute and a ``type_comment``
attribute.
- ``ClassDef`` nodes have a ``keywords`` attribute.
- ``With``'s ``context_expr`` and ``optional_vars`` fields are hold in a
``withitem`` object.
- ``For`` nodes have a ``type_comment`` attribute.
- ``Raise``'s ``type``, ``inst`` and ``tback`` fields are hold in a single
``exc`` field, using the transformation ``raise E, V, T => raise E(V).with_traceback(T)``.
- ``TryExcept`` and ``TryFinally`` nodes are merged in the ``Try`` node.
- ``arguments`` nodes have a ``kwonlyargs`` and ``kw_defaults`` attributes.
- ``Call`` nodes loose their ``starargs`` attribute, replaced by an
argument wrapped in a ``Starred`` node. They also loose their ``kwargs``
attribute, wrapped in a ``keyword`` node with the identifier set to
``None``, as done in Python3.
- ``comprehension`` nodes have an ``async`` attribute (that is always set
to 0).
- ``Ellipsis``, ``Num`` and ``Str`` nodes are represented as ``Constant``.
- ``Subscript`` which don't have any ``Slice`` node as ``slice`` attribute (and
``Ellipsis`` are not ``Slice`` nodes) no longer hold an ``ExtSlice`` but an
``Index(Tuple(...))`` instead.
Pit Falls
*********
- In Python3, ``None``, ``True`` and ``False`` are parsed as ``Constant``
while they are parsed as regular ``Name`` in Python2.
ASDL
****
This closely matches the one from https://docs.python.org/3/library/ast.html#abstract-grammar, with a few
trade-offs to cope with legacy ASTs.
.. code::
-- ASDL's six builtin types are identifier, int, string, bytes, object, singleton
module Python
{
mod = Module(stmt* body, type_ignore *type_ignores)
| Interactive(stmt* body)
| Expression(expr body)
| FunctionType(expr* argtypes, expr returns)
-- not really an actual node but useful in Jython's typesystem.
| Suite(stmt* body)
stmt = FunctionDef(identifier name, arguments args,
stmt* body, expr* decorator_list, expr? returns,
string? type_comment, type_param* type_params)
| AsyncFunctionDef(identifier name, arguments args,
stmt* body, expr* decorator_list, expr? returns,
string? type_comment, type_param* type_params)
| ClassDef(identifier name,
expr* bases,
keyword* keywords,
stmt* body,
expr* decorator_list,
type_param* type_params)
| Return(expr? value)
| Delete(expr* targets)
| Assign(expr* targets, expr value, string? type_comment)
| TypeAlias(expr name, type_param* type_params, expr value)
| AugAssign(expr target, operator op, expr value)
-- 'simple' indicates that we annotate simple name without parens
| AnnAssign(expr target, expr annotation, expr? value, int simple)
-- not sure if bool is allowed, can always use int
| Print(expr? dest, expr* values, bool nl)
-- use 'orelse' because else is a keyword in target languages
| For(expr target, expr iter, stmt* body, stmt* orelse, string? type_comment)
| AsyncFor(expr target, expr iter, stmt* body, stmt* orelse, string? type_comment)
| While(expr test, stmt* body, stmt* orelse)
| If(expr test, stmt* body, stmt* orelse)
| With(withitem* items, stmt* body, string? type_comment)
| AsyncWith(withitem* items, stmt* body, string? type_comment)
| Match(expr subject, match_case* cases)
| Raise(expr? exc, expr? cause)
| Try(stmt* body, excepthandler* handlers, stmt* orelse, stmt* finalbody)
| TryStar(stmt* body, excepthandler* handlers, stmt* orelse, stmt* finalbody)
| Assert(expr test, expr? msg)
| Import(alias* names)
| ImportFrom(identifier? module, alias* names, int? level)
-- Doesn't capture requirement that locals must be
-- defined if globals is
-- still supports use as a function!
| Exec(expr body, expr? globals, expr? locals)
| Global(identifier* names)
| Nonlocal(identifier* names)
| Expr(expr value)
| Pass | Break | Continue
-- XXX Jython will be different
-- col_offset is the byte offset in the utf8 string the parser uses
attributes (int lineno, int col_offset)
-- BoolOp() can use left & right?
expr = BoolOp(boolop op, expr* values)
| NamedExpr(expr target, expr value)
| BinOp(expr left, operator op, expr right)
| UnaryOp(unaryop op, expr operand)
| Lambda(arguments args, expr body)
| IfExp(expr test, expr body, expr orelse)
| Dict(expr* keys, expr* values)
| Set(expr* elts)
| ListComp(expr elt, comprehension* generators)
| SetComp(expr elt, comprehension* generators)
| DictComp(expr key, expr value, comprehension* generators)
| GeneratorExp(expr elt, comprehension* generators)
-- the grammar constrains where yield expressions can occur
| Await(expr value)
| Yield(expr? value)
| YieldFrom(expr value)
-- need sequences for compare to distinguish between
-- x < 4 < 3 and (x < 4) < 3
| Compare(expr left, cmpop* ops, expr* comparators)
| Call(expr func, expr* args, keyword* keywords)
| Repr(expr value)
| FormattedValue(expr value, int? conversion, expr? format_spec)
| JoinedStr(expr* values)
| Constant(constant value, string? kind)
-- the following expression can appear in assignment context
| Attribute(expr value, identifier attr, expr_context ctx)
| Subscript(expr value, slice slice, expr_context ctx)
| Starred(expr value, expr_context ctx)
| Name(identifier id, expr_context ctx, expr? annotation,
string? type_comment)
| List(expr* elts, expr_context ctx)
| Tuple(expr* elts, expr_context ctx)
-- col_offset is the byte offset in the utf8 string the parser uses
attributes (int lineno, int col_offset)
expr_context = Load | Store | Del | AugLoad | AugStore | Param
slice = Slice(expr? lower, expr? upper, expr? step)
| ExtSlice(slice* dims)
| Index(expr value)
boolop = And | Or
operator = Add | Sub | Mult | MatMult | Div | Mod | Pow | LShift
| RShift | BitOr | BitXor | BitAnd | FloorDiv
unaryop = Invert | Not | UAdd | USub
cmpop = Eq | NotEq | Lt | LtE | Gt | GtE | Is | IsNot | In | NotIn
comprehension = (expr target, expr iter, expr* ifs, int is_async)
excepthandler = ExceptHandler(expr? type, expr? name, stmt* body)
attributes (int lineno, int col_offset, int? end_lineno, int? end_col_offset)
arguments = (expr* args, expr* posonlyargs, expr? vararg, expr* kwonlyargs,
expr* kw_defaults, expr? kwarg, expr* defaults)
-- keyword arguments supplied to call (NULL identifier for **kwargs)
keyword = (identifier? arg, expr value)
-- import name with optional 'as' alias.
alias = (identifier name, identifier? asname)
attributes (int lineno, int col_offset, int? end_lineno, int? end_col_offset)
withitem = (expr context_expr, expr? optional_vars)
match_case = (pattern pattern, expr? guard, stmt* body)
pattern = MatchValue(expr value)
| MatchSingleton(constant value)
| MatchSequence(pattern* patterns)
| MatchMapping(expr* keys, pattern* patterns, identifier? rest)
| MatchClass(expr cls, pattern* patterns, identifier* kwd_attrs, pattern* kwd_patterns)
| MatchStar(identifier? name)
-- The optional "rest" MatchMapping parameter handles capturing extra mapping keys
| MatchAs(pattern? pattern, identifier? name)
| MatchOr(pattern* patterns)
attributes (int lineno, int col_offset, int end_lineno, int end_col_offset)
type_ignore = TypeIgnore(int lineno, string tag)
type_param = TypeVar(identifier name, expr? bound)
| ParamSpec(identifier name)
| TypeVarTuple(identifier name)
attributes (int lineno, int col_offset, int end_lineno, int end_col_offset)
}
Reporting Bugs
--------------
Bugs can be reported through `GitHub issues <https://github.com/serge-sans-paille/gast/issues>`_.
Reporting Security Issues
-------------------------
If for some reason, you think your bug is security-related and should be subject
to responsible disclosure, don't hesitate to `contact the maintainer
<mailto:serge.guelton@telecom-bretagne.eu>`_ directly.