|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |  | # Acorn
A tiny, fast JavaScript parser written in JavaScript.
## Community
Acorn is open source software released under an[MIT license](https://github.com/acornjs/acorn/blob/master/acorn/LICENSE).
You are welcome to[report bugs](https://github.com/acornjs/acorn/issues) or create pullrequests on [github](https://github.com/acornjs/acorn).
## Installation
The easiest way to install acorn is from [`npm`](https://www.npmjs.com/):
```shnpm install acorn```
Alternately, you can download the source and build acorn yourself:
```shgit clone https://github.com/acornjs/acorn.gitcd acornnpm install```
## Interface
**parse**`(input, options)` is the main interface to the library. The`input` parameter is a string, `options` must be an object settingsome of the options listed below. The return value will be an abstractsyntax tree object as specified by the [ESTreespec](https://github.com/estree/estree).
```javascriptlet acorn = require("acorn");console.log(acorn.parse("1 + 1", {ecmaVersion: 2020}));```
When encountering a syntax error, the parser will raise a`SyntaxError` object with a meaningful message. The error object willhave a `pos` property that indicates the string offset at which theerror occurred, and a `loc` object that contains a `{line, column}`object referring to that same position.
Options are provided by in a second argument, which should be anobject containing any of these fields (only `ecmaVersion` isrequired):
- **ecmaVersion**: Indicates the ECMAScript version to parse. Can be a  number, either in year (`2022`) or plain version number (`6`) form,  or `"latest"` (the latest the library supports). This influences  support for strict mode, the set of reserved words, and support for  new syntax features.
  **NOTE**: Only 'stage 4' (finalized) ECMAScript features are being  implemented by Acorn. Other proposed new features must be  implemented through plugins.
- **sourceType**: Indicate the mode the code should be parsed in. Can be  either `"script"` or `"module"`. This influences global strict mode  and parsing of `import` and `export` declarations.
  **NOTE**: If set to `"module"`, then static `import` / `export` syntax  will be valid, even if `ecmaVersion` is less than 6.
- **onInsertedSemicolon**: If given a callback, that callback will be  called whenever a missing semicolon is inserted by the parser. The  callback will be given the character offset of the point where the  semicolon is inserted as argument, and if `locations` is on, also a  `{line, column}` object representing this position.
- **onTrailingComma**: Like `onInsertedSemicolon`, but for trailing  commas.
- **allowReserved**: If `false`, using a reserved word will generate  an error. Defaults to `true` for `ecmaVersion` 3, `false` for higher  versions. When given the value `"never"`, reserved words and  keywords can also not be used as property names (as in Internet  Explorer's old parser).
- **allowReturnOutsideFunction**: By default, a return statement at  the top level raises an error. Set this to `true` to accept such  code.
- **allowImportExportEverywhere**: By default, `import` and `export`  declarations can only appear at a program's top level. Setting this  option to `true` allows them anywhere where a statement is allowed,  and also allows `import.meta` expressions to appear in scripts  (when `sourceType` is not `"module"`).
- **allowAwaitOutsideFunction**: If `false`, `await` expressions can  only appear inside `async` functions. Defaults to `true` in modules  for `ecmaVersion` 2022 and later, `false` for lower versions.  Setting this option to `true` allows to have top-level `await`  expressions. They are still not allowed in non-`async` functions,  though.
- **allowSuperOutsideMethod**: By default, `super` outside a method  raises an error. Set this to `true` to accept such code.
- **allowHashBang**: When this is enabled, if the code starts with the  characters `#!` (as in a shellscript), the first line will be  treated as a comment. Defaults to true when `ecmaVersion` >= 2023.
- **checkPrivateFields**: By default, the parser will verify that  private properties are only used in places where they are valid and  have been declared. Set this to false to turn such checks off.
- **locations**: When `true`, each node has a `loc` object attached  with `start` and `end` subobjects, each of which contains the  one-based line and zero-based column numbers in `{line, column}`  form. Default is `false`.
- **onToken**: If a function is passed for this option, each found  token will be passed in same format as tokens returned from  `tokenizer().getToken()`.
  If array is passed, each found token is pushed to it.
  Note that you are not allowed to call the parser from the  callback—that will corrupt its internal state.
- **onComment**: If a function is passed for this option, whenever a  comment is encountered the function will be called with the  following parameters:
  - `block`: `true` if the comment is a block comment, false if it    is a line comment.  - `text`: The content of the comment.  - `start`: Character offset of the start of the comment.  - `end`: Character offset of the end of the comment.
  When the `locations` options is on, the `{line, column}` locations  of the comment’s start and end are passed as two additional  parameters.
  If array is passed for this option, each found comment is pushed  to it as object in Esprima format:
  ```javascript  {    "type": "Line" | "Block",    "value": "comment text",    "start": Number,    "end": Number,    // If `locations` option is on:    "loc": {      "start": {line: Number, column: Number}      "end": {line: Number, column: Number}    },    // If `ranges` option is on:    "range": [Number, Number]  }  ```
  Note that you are not allowed to call the parser from the  callback—that will corrupt its internal state.
- **ranges**: Nodes have their start and end characters offsets  recorded in `start` and `end` properties (directly on the node,  rather than the `loc` object, which holds line/column data. To also  add a  [semi-standardized](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=745678)  `range` property holding a `[start, end]` array with the same  numbers, set the `ranges` option to `true`.
- **program**: It is possible to parse multiple files into a single  AST by passing the tree produced by parsing the first file as the  `program` option in subsequent parses. This will add the toplevel  forms of the parsed file to the "Program" (top) node of an existing  parse tree.
- **sourceFile**: When the `locations` option is `true`, you can pass  this option to add a `source` attribute in every node’s `loc`  object. Note that the contents of this option are not examined or  processed in any way; you are free to use whatever format you  choose.
- **directSourceFile**: Like `sourceFile`, but a `sourceFile` property  will be added (regardless of the `location` option) directly to the  nodes, rather than the `loc` object.
- **preserveParens**: If this option is `true`, parenthesized expressions  are represented by (non-standard) `ParenthesizedExpression` nodes  that have a single `expression` property containing the expression  inside parentheses.
**parseExpressionAt**`(input, offset, options)` will parse a singleexpression in a string, and return its AST. It will not complain ifthere is more of the string left after the expression.
**tokenizer**`(input, options)` returns an object with a `getToken`method that can be called repeatedly to get the next token, a `{start,end, type, value}` object (with added `loc` property when the`locations` option is enabled and `range` property when the `ranges`option is enabled). When the token's type is `tokTypes.eof`, youshould stop calling the method, since it will keep returning that sametoken forever.
Note that tokenizing JavaScript without parsing it is, in modernversions of the language, not really possible due to the way syntax isoverloaded in ways that can only be disambiguated by the parsecontext. This package applies a bunch of heuristics to try and do areasonable job, but you are advised to use `parse` with the `onToken`option instead of this.
In ES6 environment, returned result can be used as any otherprotocol-compliant iterable:
```javascriptfor (let token of acorn.tokenizer(str)) {  // iterate over the tokens}
// transform code to array of tokens:var tokens = [...acorn.tokenizer(str)];```
**tokTypes** holds an object mapping names to the token type objectsthat end up in the `type` properties of tokens.
**getLineInfo**`(input, offset)` can be used to get a `{line,column}` object for a given program string and offset.
### The `Parser` class
Instances of the **`Parser`** class contain all the state and logicthat drives a parse. It has static methods `parse`,`parseExpressionAt`, and `tokenizer` that match the top-levelfunctions by the same name.
When extending the parser with plugins, you need to call these methodson the extended version of the class. To extend a parser with plugins,you can use its static `extend` method.
```javascriptvar acorn = require("acorn");var jsx = require("acorn-jsx");var JSXParser = acorn.Parser.extend(jsx());JSXParser.parse("foo(<bar/>)", {ecmaVersion: 2020});```
The `extend` method takes any number of plugin values, and returns anew `Parser` class that includes the extra parser logic provided bythe plugins.
## Command line interface
The `bin/acorn` utility can be used to parse a file from the commandline. It accepts as arguments its input file and the followingoptions:
- `--ecma3|--ecma5|--ecma6|--ecma7|--ecma8|--ecma9|--ecma10`: Sets the ECMAScript version  to parse. Default is version 9.
- `--module`: Sets the parsing mode to `"module"`. Is set to `"script"` otherwise.
- `--locations`: Attaches a "loc" object to each node with "start" and  "end" subobjects, each of which contains the one-based line and  zero-based column numbers in `{line, column}` form.
- `--allow-hash-bang`: If the code starts with the characters #! (as  in a shellscript), the first line will be treated as a comment.
- `--allow-await-outside-function`: Allows top-level `await` expressions.  See the `allowAwaitOutsideFunction` option for more information.
- `--compact`: No whitespace is used in the AST output.
- `--silent`: Do not output the AST, just return the exit status.
- `--help`: Print the usage information and quit.
The utility spits out the syntax tree as JSON data.
## Existing plugins
 - [`acorn-jsx`](https://github.com/RReverser/acorn-jsx): Parse [Facebook JSX syntax extensions](https://github.com/facebook/jsx)
 |