runtime(3)

💖 NAME 💖

runtime — navigating the C Runtime Documentation, bestie edition 🦋

okay so this is the runtime page from the ANTLR3C manual (that's the runtime(3) one, iykyk). If you've ever peeked at Doxygen generated documentation before, then the layout of the files, typedefs and so on is gonna feel super familiar to you already. No cap. But there's also extra structure layered on top of that, and that structure is literally there to help the programmer see how the runtime is made up. It's giving ✨map of the whole vibe✨.

🎀 Modules 🎀

Under the Modules menu tree you'll find the entry API Classes. This section is further divided into typedefs and structs, plus the standard runtime supplied interface implementation methods. Three whole flavors, one menu. Slay. 💅

The typedefs are the types that you declare in your code, and which get returned by the 'constructors' — like antlr38BitFileStreamNew(). The underlying structures document the data elements of the type, and what a function pointer installed in any particular slot should do. So like, the struct is the receipt, the function pointer slot is the job description. 🧾

The default implementations are the static methods within the default implementation file for a 'class', and they get installed by the runtime when a default instance of one of the typedefs (classes) is created. Automatic. Iconic. 👑

When you're navigating the source code, here's the move: find the typedef you wanna consult, inspect the documentation for its function pointers, then go look at the documentation for the default methods that implement that 'method'. That's the whole quest line. 🗺️

For example, under "API Typedefs and Structs" you'll find "Base Recognizer Definition", which tells you all the methods that belong to this interface. And under "API Implementation Functions", you'll find "Base Recognizer Implementation", which documents the actual functions that get installed to implement the class methods. Two sides of the same coin, fr fr. 🪙

From here, the documentation should be obvious. If it's not obvious, then you could try reading the actual source code — but please don't email the author directly. 🙈 Use the ANTLR Interest email group instead, which you should probably have signed up for already if you've read this far into the C runtime documentation. Like, you're committed at this point, bestie. Commit fully. 🌈

and that's the whole page!! This was Version 3.3.1, dated Tue Jul 29 2025 00:00:00. tysm for reading, go forth and navigate the runtime, you've got this 💖✨🫶