recursive descent parser

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

recursive descent parser

   <grammar> A "top-down" {parser} built from a set of
   {mutually-recursive} procedures or a non-recursive equivalent
   where each such procedure usually implements one of the
   {productions} of the {grammar}.  Thus the structure of the
   resulting program closely mirrors that of the grammar it
   recognises.

   ["Recursive Programming Techniques", W.H. Burge, 1975, ISBN
   0-201-14450-6].

   (1995-04-28)