I am writing a parser for a type of input file. The input file looks something like:
[CalculationBlock]
CalculationTitle="Test Parser Input System" , MatchingRadius=25.0, StepSize=0.01,ProblemType=RelSchroedingerEqn
MaxPartialWaveJ=800, SMatConv=10E-8
PartialWaveConv= 10E-8, SmallValueLimit = 10E-8
PotentialRadType=HeavyIon
[end]
Essentially it is divided into blocks that start with [BlockName] and then have a set of named parameters within. The named parameters can be separated by ',' or '\n' characters.
Using the incomplete input file I gave above, I wanted to write a parser for it that would serve as a jumping off point for a more complete input file. I did so but the parser has a weakness that I am not sure how to address. It is not parameter order independent. For example, if a user were to put the parameter PartialWaveConv= 10E-8 before SMatConv=10E-8 it would fail.
I briefly contemplated enumerating each possible order of parameters in a block but I discarded it since there are n! permutations of n parameter value pairs. So my question is: Is there any way to make the parser independent of parameter ordering?
The toy parser I wrote is below, I apologize if it is amateurish, this is my first foray into boost, let alone boost.spirit.
#include<string>
#include<iostream>
#include<cstdlib>
#include<fstream>
#include<boost/config/warning_disable.hpp>
#include<boost/spirit/include/qi.hpp>
#include<boost/spirit/include/phoenix_core.hpp>
#include<boost/spirit/include/phoenix_operator.hpp>
#include<boost/spirit/include/phoenix_object.hpp>
#include<boost/fusion/include/adapt_struct.hpp>
#include<boost/fusion/include/io.hpp>
#include<boost/spirit/include/support_istream_iterator.hpp>
namespace blocks
{
namespace qi = boost::spirit::qi;
namespace ascii = boost::spirit::ascii;
namespace phoenix = boost::phoenix;
struct CalcBlock
{
    std::string calculationTitle;
    float matchingRad;
    float stepSize;
    std::string problemType;
    int maxPartialWaveJ;
    float sMatrixConvergenceValue;
    float partialWaveConvergenceValue;
    float smallValueLimit;
    std::string potentialRadType;
};
}
//tell fusion about the block structure
BOOST_FUSION_ADAPT_STRUCT(blocks::CalcBlock,
                        (std::string, calculationTitle)
                        (float, matchingRad)
                        (float, stepSize)
                        (std::string, problemType)
                        (int, maxPartialWaveJ)
                        (float, sMatrixConvergenceValue)
                        (float, partialWaveConvergenceValue)
                        (float, smallValueLimit)
                        (std::string, potentialRadType)
)
namespace blocks
{
template <typename Iterator>
struct CalcBlockParser : qi::grammar<Iterator, CalcBlock(), boost::spirit::ascii::blank_type>
{
    CalcBlockParser() : CalcBlockParser::base_type(start)
    {
        using qi::int_;
        using qi::lit;
        using qi::float_;
        using qi::lexeme;
        using ascii::char_;
        quotedString %= lexeme['"' >> +(char_ - '"' - '\n') >> '"'];
        plainString %= lexeme[ +(char_ - ' ' - ',' - '\n') ];
        start %=
            lit("[CalculationBlock]") >> '\n'
            >> lit("CalculationTitle") >> '=' >> quotedString >> (lit(',') | lit('\n'))
            >> lit("MatchingRadius") >> '=' >> float_ >> (lit(',') | lit('\n'))
            >> lit("StepSize") >> '=' >> float_ >> (lit(',') | lit('\n'))
            >> lit("ProblemType") >> '=' >> plainString >> (lit(',') | lit('\n'))
            >> lit("MaxPartialWaveJ") >> '=' >> int_ >> (lit(',') | lit('\n'))
            >> lit("SMatConv") >> '=' >> float_ >> (lit(',') | lit('\n'))
            >> lit("PartialWaveConv") >> '=' >> float_ >> (lit(',') | lit('\n'))
            >> lit("SmallValueLimit") >> '=' >> float_ >> (lit(',') | lit('\n'))
            >> lit("PotentialRadType") >> '=' >> plainString
            >> lit("\n[end]\n");
    }
    qi::rule<Iterator, std::string(), boost::spirit::ascii::blank_type> quotedString;
    qi::rule<Iterator, std::string(), boost::spirit::ascii::blank_type> plainString;
    qi::rule<Iterator, CalcBlock(), boost::spirit::ascii::blank_type> start;
};
}
using std::cout;
using std::endl;
namespace spirit = boost::spirit;
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    if (argc != 2)
    {
        cout << "\nUsage:\n\t./echos InputFileName\n" << endl;
        return EXIT_FAILURE;
    }
    std::string inputFileName(argv[1]);
    cout << "Reading input from the file: " << inputFileName << endl;
    std::ifstream input(inputFileName);
    input.unsetf(std::ios::skipws);
    spirit::istream_iterator start(input);
    spirit::istream_iterator stop;
    typedef blocks::CalcBlockParser<spirit::istream_iterator> CalcBlockParser;
    CalcBlockParser cbParser;
    blocks::CalcBlock cb;
    bool success = phrase_parse(start, stop, cbParser, boost::spirit::ascii::blank, cb);
    if (success && start == stop)
    {
        std::cout << boost::fusion::tuple_open('[');
        std::cout << boost::fusion::tuple_close(']');
        std::cout << boost::fusion::tuple_delimiter(", ");
        std::cout << "-------------------------\n";
        std::cout << "Parsing succeeded\n";
        std::cout << "got: " << boost::fusion::as_vector(cb) << std::endl;
        std::cout << "\n-------------------------\n";
    }
    else
    {
        std::cout << boost::fusion::tuple_open('[');
        std::cout << boost::fusion::tuple_close(']');
        std::cout << boost::fusion::tuple_delimiter(", ");
        std::cout << "-------------------------\n";
        std::cout << "Parsing failed\n";
        std::cout << "got: " << boost::fusion::as_vector(cb) << std::endl;
        std::cout << "\n-------------------------\n";
    }
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}