1 | # Acorn
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2 |
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3 | A tiny, fast JavaScript parser written in JavaScript.
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4 |
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5 | ## Community
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6 |
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7 | Acorn is open source software released under an
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8 | [MIT license](https://github.com/acornjs/acorn/blob/master/acorn/LICENSE).
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9 |
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10 | You are welcome to
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11 | [report bugs](https://github.com/acornjs/acorn/issues) or create pull
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12 | requests on [github](https://github.com/acornjs/acorn).
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13 |
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14 | ## Installation
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15 |
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16 | The easiest way to install acorn is from [`npm`](https://www.npmjs.com/):
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17 |
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18 | ```sh
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19 | npm install acorn
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20 | ```
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21 |
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22 | Alternately, you can download the source and build acorn yourself:
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23 |
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24 | ```sh
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25 | git clone https://github.com/acornjs/acorn.git
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26 | cd acorn
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27 | npm install
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28 | ```
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29 |
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30 | ## Interface
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31 |
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32 | **parse**`(input, options)` is the main interface to the library. The
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33 | `input` parameter is a string, `options` must be an object setting
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34 | some of the options listed below. The return value will be an abstract
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35 | syntax tree object as specified by the [ESTree
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36 | spec](https://github.com/estree/estree).
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37 |
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38 | ```javascript
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39 | let acorn = require("acorn");
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40 | console.log(acorn.parse("1 + 1", {ecmaVersion: 2020}));
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41 | ```
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42 |
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43 | When encountering a syntax error, the parser will raise a
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44 | `SyntaxError` object with a meaningful message. The error object will
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45 | have a `pos` property that indicates the string offset at which the
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46 | error occurred, and a `loc` object that contains a `{line, column}`
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47 | object referring to that same position.
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48 |
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49 | Options are provided by in a second argument, which should be an
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50 | object containing any of these fields (only `ecmaVersion` is
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51 | required):
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52 |
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53 | - **ecmaVersion**: Indicates the ECMAScript version to parse. Can be a
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54 | number, either in year (`2022`) or plain version number (`6`) form,
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55 | or `"latest"` (the latest the library supports). This influences
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56 | support for strict mode, the set of reserved words, and support for
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57 | new syntax features.
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58 |
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59 | **NOTE**: Only 'stage 4' (finalized) ECMAScript features are being
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60 | implemented by Acorn. Other proposed new features must be
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61 | implemented through plugins.
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62 |
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63 | - **sourceType**: Indicate the mode the code should be parsed in. Can be
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64 | either `"script"` or `"module"`. This influences global strict mode
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65 | and parsing of `import` and `export` declarations.
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66 |
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67 | **NOTE**: If set to `"module"`, then static `import` / `export` syntax
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68 | will be valid, even if `ecmaVersion` is less than 6.
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69 |
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70 | - **onInsertedSemicolon**: If given a callback, that callback will be
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71 | called whenever a missing semicolon is inserted by the parser. The
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72 | callback will be given the character offset of the point where the
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73 | semicolon is inserted as argument, and if `locations` is on, also a
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74 | `{line, column}` object representing this position.
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75 |
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76 | - **onTrailingComma**: Like `onInsertedSemicolon`, but for trailing
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77 | commas.
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78 |
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79 | - **allowReserved**: If `false`, using a reserved word will generate
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80 | an error. Defaults to `true` for `ecmaVersion` 3, `false` for higher
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81 | versions. When given the value `"never"`, reserved words and
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82 | keywords can also not be used as property names (as in Internet
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83 | Explorer's old parser).
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84 |
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85 | - **allowReturnOutsideFunction**: By default, a return statement at
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86 | the top level raises an error. Set this to `true` to accept such
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87 | code.
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88 |
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89 | - **allowImportExportEverywhere**: By default, `import` and `export`
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90 | declarations can only appear at a program's top level. Setting this
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91 | option to `true` allows them anywhere where a statement is allowed,
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92 | and also allows `import.meta` expressions to appear in scripts
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93 | (when `sourceType` is not `"module"`).
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94 |
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95 | - **allowAwaitOutsideFunction**: If `false`, `await` expressions can
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96 | only appear inside `async` functions. Defaults to `true` in modules
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97 | for `ecmaVersion` 2022 and later, `false` for lower versions.
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98 | Setting this option to `true` allows to have top-level `await`
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99 | expressions. They are still not allowed in non-`async` functions,
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100 | though.
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101 |
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102 | - **allowSuperOutsideMethod**: By default, `super` outside a method
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103 | raises an error. Set this to `true` to accept such code.
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104 |
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105 | - **allowHashBang**: When this is enabled, if the code starts with the
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106 | characters `#!` (as in a shellscript), the first line will be
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107 | treated as a comment. Defaults to true when `ecmaVersion` >= 2023.
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108 |
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109 | - **checkPrivateFields**: By default, the parser will verify that
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110 | private properties are only used in places where they are valid and
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111 | have been declared. Set this to false to turn such checks off.
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112 |
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113 | - **locations**: When `true`, each node has a `loc` object attached
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114 | with `start` and `end` subobjects, each of which contains the
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115 | one-based line and zero-based column numbers in `{line, column}`
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116 | form. Default is `false`.
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117 |
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118 | - **onToken**: If a function is passed for this option, each found
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119 | token will be passed in same format as tokens returned from
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120 | `tokenizer().getToken()`.
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121 |
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122 | If array is passed, each found token is pushed to it.
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123 |
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124 | Note that you are not allowed to call the parser from the
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125 | callback—that will corrupt its internal state.
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126 |
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127 | - **onComment**: If a function is passed for this option, whenever a
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128 | comment is encountered the function will be called with the
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129 | following parameters:
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130 |
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131 | - `block`: `true` if the comment is a block comment, false if it
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132 | is a line comment.
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133 | - `text`: The content of the comment.
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134 | - `start`: Character offset of the start of the comment.
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135 | - `end`: Character offset of the end of the comment.
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136 |
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137 | When the `locations` options is on, the `{line, column}` locations
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138 | of the comment’s start and end are passed as two additional
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139 | parameters.
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140 |
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141 | If array is passed for this option, each found comment is pushed
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142 | to it as object in Esprima format:
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143 |
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144 | ```javascript
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145 | {
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146 | "type": "Line" | "Block",
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147 | "value": "comment text",
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148 | "start": Number,
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149 | "end": Number,
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150 | // If `locations` option is on:
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151 | "loc": {
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152 | "start": {line: Number, column: Number}
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153 | "end": {line: Number, column: Number}
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154 | },
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155 | // If `ranges` option is on:
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156 | "range": [Number, Number]
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157 | }
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158 | ```
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159 |
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160 | Note that you are not allowed to call the parser from the
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161 | callback—that will corrupt its internal state.
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162 |
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163 | - **ranges**: Nodes have their start and end characters offsets
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164 | recorded in `start` and `end` properties (directly on the node,
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165 | rather than the `loc` object, which holds line/column data. To also
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166 | add a
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167 | [semi-standardized](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=745678)
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168 | `range` property holding a `[start, end]` array with the same
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169 | numbers, set the `ranges` option to `true`.
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170 |
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171 | - **program**: It is possible to parse multiple files into a single
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172 | AST by passing the tree produced by parsing the first file as the
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173 | `program` option in subsequent parses. This will add the toplevel
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174 | forms of the parsed file to the "Program" (top) node of an existing
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175 | parse tree.
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176 |
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177 | - **sourceFile**: When the `locations` option is `true`, you can pass
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178 | this option to add a `source` attribute in every node’s `loc`
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179 | object. Note that the contents of this option are not examined or
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180 | processed in any way; you are free to use whatever format you
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181 | choose.
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182 |
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183 | - **directSourceFile**: Like `sourceFile`, but a `sourceFile` property
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184 | will be added (regardless of the `location` option) directly to the
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185 | nodes, rather than the `loc` object.
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186 |
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187 | - **preserveParens**: If this option is `true`, parenthesized expressions
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188 | are represented by (non-standard) `ParenthesizedExpression` nodes
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189 | that have a single `expression` property containing the expression
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190 | inside parentheses.
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191 |
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192 | **parseExpressionAt**`(input, offset, options)` will parse a single
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193 | expression in a string, and return its AST. It will not complain if
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194 | there is more of the string left after the expression.
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195 |
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196 | **tokenizer**`(input, options)` returns an object with a `getToken`
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197 | method that can be called repeatedly to get the next token, a `{start,
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198 | end, type, value}` object (with added `loc` property when the
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199 | `locations` option is enabled and `range` property when the `ranges`
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200 | option is enabled). When the token's type is `tokTypes.eof`, you
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201 | should stop calling the method, since it will keep returning that same
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202 | token forever.
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203 |
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204 | Note that tokenizing JavaScript without parsing it is, in modern
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205 | versions of the language, not really possible due to the way syntax is
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206 | overloaded in ways that can only be disambiguated by the parse
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207 | context. This package applies a bunch of heuristics to try and do a
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208 | reasonable job, but you are advised to use `parse` with the `onToken`
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209 | option instead of this.
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210 |
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211 | In ES6 environment, returned result can be used as any other
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212 | protocol-compliant iterable:
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213 |
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214 | ```javascript
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215 | for (let token of acorn.tokenizer(str)) {
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216 | // iterate over the tokens
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217 | }
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218 |
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219 | // transform code to array of tokens:
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220 | var tokens = [...acorn.tokenizer(str)];
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221 | ```
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222 |
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223 | **tokTypes** holds an object mapping names to the token type objects
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224 | that end up in the `type` properties of tokens.
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225 |
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226 | **getLineInfo**`(input, offset)` can be used to get a `{line,
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227 | column}` object for a given program string and offset.
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228 |
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229 | ### The `Parser` class
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230 |
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231 | Instances of the **`Parser`** class contain all the state and logic
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232 | that drives a parse. It has static methods `parse`,
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233 | `parseExpressionAt`, and `tokenizer` that match the top-level
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234 | functions by the same name.
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235 |
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236 | When extending the parser with plugins, you need to call these methods
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237 | on the extended version of the class. To extend a parser with plugins,
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238 | you can use its static `extend` method.
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239 |
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240 | ```javascript
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241 | var acorn = require("acorn");
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242 | var jsx = require("acorn-jsx");
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243 | var JSXParser = acorn.Parser.extend(jsx());
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244 | JSXParser.parse("foo(<bar/>)", {ecmaVersion: 2020});
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245 | ```
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246 |
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247 | The `extend` method takes any number of plugin values, and returns a
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248 | new `Parser` class that includes the extra parser logic provided by
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249 | the plugins.
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250 |
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251 | ## Command line interface
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252 |
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253 | The `bin/acorn` utility can be used to parse a file from the command
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254 | line. It accepts as arguments its input file and the following
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255 | options:
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256 |
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257 | - `--ecma3|--ecma5|--ecma6|--ecma7|--ecma8|--ecma9|--ecma10`: Sets the ECMAScript version
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258 | to parse. Default is version 9.
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259 |
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260 | - `--module`: Sets the parsing mode to `"module"`. Is set to `"script"` otherwise.
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261 |
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262 | - `--locations`: Attaches a "loc" object to each node with "start" and
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263 | "end" subobjects, each of which contains the one-based line and
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264 | zero-based column numbers in `{line, column}` form.
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265 |
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266 | - `--allow-hash-bang`: If the code starts with the characters #! (as
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267 | in a shellscript), the first line will be treated as a comment.
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268 |
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269 | - `--allow-await-outside-function`: Allows top-level `await` expressions.
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270 | See the `allowAwaitOutsideFunction` option for more information.
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271 |
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272 | - `--compact`: No whitespace is used in the AST output.
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273 |
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274 | - `--silent`: Do not output the AST, just return the exit status.
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275 |
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276 | - `--help`: Print the usage information and quit.
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277 |
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278 | The utility spits out the syntax tree as JSON data.
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279 |
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280 | ## Existing plugins
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281 |
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282 | - [`acorn-jsx`](https://github.com/RReverser/acorn-jsx): Parse [Facebook JSX syntax extensions](https://github.com/facebook/jsx)
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