Interpreter Design Pattern in Javascript

1. eleks.com
Interpreter Pattern
Design Patterns Program
by Dmytro Verbovyi

2. Introduction
Given a language, define a
representation for its grammar along
with an interpreter that uses the
representation to interpret sentences
in the language. (GOF) ***
***The basic idea is to have a class for each
symbol(terminal or nonterminal) in a specialized computer
language.

3. ● Frequent changing task
● Queries, terms and
expression
● Regular expressions

4. ● Sentences in the language
represented as abstract syntax
trees (AST)
● Easy to extend and modify
grammar. (Classes
implementation that describes
abstract syntax nodes easily
coded)
● You can easily change the
method of calculating
expressions
Problem solving

5. Real world example - Barcode

6. How Barcode works - BNF notation
● <UPC>::=<Manufacture ID><Item Number><Check Digit>
● <Manufacture Id>::=<Digit><Digit><Digit><Digit><Digit><Digit>
● <Item Number>::=<Digit><Digit><Digit><Digit><Digit>
● <Check Digit>::=<Digit>
● <Digit>::= 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

7. Scheme

8. Implemented example - BNF
● <TRAILER>::=<Goods><sPackage><Goods><bPackage><Goods><Goods>
● <sPackage>::=<Goods><Goods>
● <bPackage>::=<Goods><Goods><Goods><Goods>
● <Goods>::= <Table> | <Bed> | <TV> | <LapTop>

9. Language sentence
<script type="text/template" id="contextTpl">
<h1>{Table}{SPackage}{Bed}{BPackage}{TV}{LapTop}</h1>
</script>

10. Abstract Expression
//Abstract Expression
class Goods {
constructor(){
this.name = this.__proto__.constructor.name;
}
interpret(context) {
return this.name + ': ' + context.getPrice(this.name) + '<br>';
}
}

11. Terminal Expressions
//Terminal Expressions
class TV extends Goods {}
class LapTop extends Goods {}
class Table extends Goods {}
class Bed extends Goods {}

12. Nonterminal Expressions
//Non-Terminal Expresions
class SPackage extends Goods {
constructor() {
super();
this.itemsList = [].slice.call(arguments);
}
add(item) {
this.itemsList.push(item);
}
interpret(context) {
let output = '';
this.itemsList.forEach((exp)=> {
output += exp.interpret(context);
});
return output;
}
}
class BPackage extends SPackage {}

13. Context
class PriceContext {
constructor(bed, table, tv, laptop, sPackage, bPackage) {
this.bed = bed;
this.table = table;
this.tv = tv;
this.laptop = laptop;
this.spackage = sPackage;
this.bpackage = bPackage;
this.prices = {};
}
setPrice(prices) {
for(let key in prices) {
if(!prices.hasOwnProperty(key)) continue;
this.prices[key] = prices[key];
}
}
getPrice(name) {
return this.prices[name];
}
interpret(expName){
return
this[expName].interpret(this);
}
}

14. View - slide 1
class View {
constructor(el, tplId) {
this.el = el;
this._vars = {};
this.setTemplate(tplId);
}
setTemplate(tplId) {
this.template = document.getElementById(tplId).innerHTML.replace(/s/g, '');
}
getVars() {
let regex = /{(.*?)}/g,
matches, expressions = [];
while (matches = regex.exec(this.template)) {
expressions.push(matches[1]);
}
return expressions;
}

15. View - slide 2
render(priceContext) {
let output = this.template,
vars = this.getVars();
vars.forEach((variable)=> {
let expName = variable.toLowerCase(),
re = new RegExp("{" + variable + "}", 'g');
output = output.replace(re, priceContext.interpret(expName));
});
this.el.innerHTML = output;
return this;
}
}

16. Usage
const Main = () => {
let el = document.body;
let view = new View(el, 'contextTpl');
let smallPackage = new SPackage();
smallPackage.add(new TV());
smallPackage.add(new LapTop());
let bigPackage = new BPackage();
bigPackage.add(new Table());
bigPackage.add(new Bed());
bigPackage.add(new Bed());
bigPackage.add(new TV());
let priceContext = new PriceContext(
new Bed(),
new Table(),
new TV(),
new LapTop(),
smallPackage,
bigPackage
);
priceContext.setPrice({
'Bed': 400,
'TV': 200,
'LapTop': 500,
'Table': 50
});
view.render(priceContext);
};

17. Sentence and Output
Table: 50
TV: 200
LapTop: 500
Bed: 400
Table: 50
Bed: 400
Bed: 400
TV: 200
TV: 200
LapTop: 500
<script type="text/template" id="contextTpl">
<h1>{Table}{SPackage}{Bed}{BPackage}{TV}{LapTop}</h1>
</script>

18. Advantages Disadvantages
● You have a simple
language to interpret
● You can easily change
the method of
calculating expressions
● You can represent
sentences in the
language as abstract
syntax trees (AST).
● Difficult to support the
grammar with a large
number of rules
● Each class on each
expression

19. Related Patterns
● Composite for same proccessing terminal and non-terminal expressions
● Flyweight for sharing terminal expressions
● Iterator for traversing the nodes of non-terminals

20. Inspired by Technology.
Driven by Value.
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