Question 1

How do I parse JSON with Kern in Clojure?

Accepted Answer

Kern provides lexer combinators and core parsers to define JSON parsers; the README includes a sample implementation using string-lit, dec-lit, and combinators like brackets and braces for objects and arrays.

Question 2

Kern vs instaparse for Clojure parsing?

Accepted Answer

Kern excels with LL(1) grammars and offers a monadic, compositional approach for productivity, while instaparse supports more grammar types like CFG but may lack Kern's detailed error messaging and lexer configurability.

Question 3

Can Kern handle left-recursive grammars?

Accepted Answer

As an LL(1) parser combinator library, Kern does not natively support left recursion; developers often refactor grammars or use built-in combinators like chainl1 for expression parsing to avoid issues.

Question 4

How to customize error messages in Kern?

Accepted Answer

Kern includes a simple i18n scheme for error messages, allowing developers to override or define templates through the library's error handling functions and state access mechanisms.

Question 5

Is Kern suitable for parsing large files?

Accepted Answer

No, Kern is not optimized for high performance; the README admits it parses only 350K of JSON per second, making it inadequate for very large datasets where speed is crucial.

Question 6

How to implement a domain-specific language with Kern?

Accepted Answer

Start by defining the grammar using Kern's combinators, leverage lexer support for tokenization, and use sample parsers in resources as references; the compositional approach helps code resemble the grammar structure.

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