Pitfalls

The robustness of lexical analysis relies upon the distinct relationship between cause and effect. A robust design prevents surprises that potentially jeopardize the safety of a system [#f1]_. Preventing unexpected behavior, however, requires awareness about the indwelling causes of astonishment in the underlying process. This section investigates such pitfalls and explains their origin.

• Pattern Matching
  • Interferring Patterns
  • Delimters in Pattern
  • Matching Length vs. Input Position Progress
  • Sentinels
• Stall Conditions