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Applications of context free grammars-CFG In Sonic System

Conference Paper · January 2022

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 Applications of context free grammars-CFG In
Sonic System
Amlan Nag
Bachelor of Computing Science,Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC , Canada
Data Analyst and Back-end Developer, Fiscal Realities Economists , Kamloops, BC , Canada
amlannag6@gmail.com
Abstract—This project will outline some techniques for
context-free grammar (CFGs). Specifically, our group will be
looking at an application (Sonic System) that can be thought
out as music technology. The objective is to build a system
that can simplify the creation of complex musical generation
by allowing users to create a generative CFG and then use
it to quickly define and generate different types of music. We
can look at Grammar inference which is the procedure of
understanding grammar from examples. Grammar inference
has been successfully applied to many diverse projects such as
speech recognition and robotics. The topic’s focus will be on the
use of randomized productions. By using this system, complex
definitions can be created as a series of productions. The intended
operation is to create a system for defining context-free grammars
(CFGs) and using randomized production inference to solve
problems in software engineering and programming language
development. In addition, studying and creating CFG systems
specifically expands a sequence of terminals into non-terminals
using randomized productions to expand a sequence of terminals
into non-terminals. This is in contrast to the more usual action of
parsing a string of previously created terminals into higher-level
non-terminals, which is essentially the same thing. After then, a
series of terminals can be processed to produce an output, such as
a sound or a song. This approach can easily generate complicated
definitions as a series of productions, each of which maps a
symbol to one or more probabilistically-weighted expansions,
resulting in complex randomized but structured behaviour.
Index Terms—component, formatting, style, styling, insert
I. I NTRODUCTION
This project will outline some techniques for context-free
grammar (CFGs). Specifically, our group will be looking at
an application (Sonic System). A system defining (CFGs) and
expanding a sequence of terminals into non-terminals using
randomized production. A system that can produce some sort
of output, such as a sound or a song. The objective is to build
a system that can simplify the creation of complex musical
generation by allowing users to create a generative CFG and
then use it to quickly define and generate different types of
music.
II. L EARNING OBJECTIVES
A grammar file expands each character recursively accord-
ing to the specified grammar until no further expansions are
Identify applicable funding agency here. If none, delete this.
feasible and then outputs the resulting sequence of terminals.
If a* precedes a symbol, it indicates that it can be extended
into zero or more occurrences of that symbol. The addition of
a + means that the character can be extended into one or more
circumstances. Grammars can also be compounded, meaning
that one grammar applied to an initial sequence is utilized as
input to another.
A. Some DSLs are also known as domain-specific languages
that are created for just one particular goal. Athena CL is one
such example.
B. AthenaCL is considered a declarative style of program-
ming. This style is a lot easier than other styles to define what
one wants rather than writing particular commands to gener-
ate that definition. But, as the information is not represented in
more complex components in imperative languages, it makes
them easier to create and render.
C. DSLs probably lean towards more of a decorative style
rather than broader programming languages
D. CFGs are commonly used to define a programming lan-
guage’s high-level structure. The CFG engine we will be
creating will be a tool to create simple DSLs.
III. I MPLEMENTATION
Now let’s talk about the implementation of context-free
grammar in Sonic System and the Musical scale of EECS20N:
Signals and Systems. An operation of CFG resulting sequence
of terminals.
Here is a python based file of Sonic.ipynb where this
program file accepts a string of symbols separated by spaces.
A grammar file expands each character recursively according
to the specified grammar until no further expansions are
feasible and then outputs the resulting sequence of terminals.
In general, grammar in my system is a set of products that
map a symbol to one or more expansions. A series of one or
more characters is defined as an expansion. Each development
is labelled with a weight that indicates how likely it is to be
picked from the available options. Grammars in my system are
represented as YAML files, a data serialization format known
for its readability. The grammar is defined as a hash, with
symbols as keys and a hash of expansions as values. Each
expansion hash is keyed by a single space-delimited string of
characters with an integer weight as a value.
Then – from a developed project where CFG implemented
in the sonic system - a waveform function which is modelled
as successive additions and multiplications.
If a* precedes a symbol, it indicates that it can be extended
into zero or more occurrences of that symbol. The addition
of a + means that the character can be extended into one
or more circumstances. A range enclosed in brackets (such
as [220-880] above) is developed into an integer drawn at
random from that range. Grammars can include recursive
productions, but each presentation must have at least one
non-recursive expansion since the script expands the sequence
until it only contains terminals. Code ** Sonic.py prints the
sequence formed by consecutive expansions, as shown above.
The first line contains the beginning sequence, while the last
line generates the final series of non-terminals.
Of course, this sequence is meaningless unless we can
convert it to the waveform it represents, which in this case
is a square wave convolved with a sine-wave and then added
to another sine-wave (the numbers are the frequencies). I built Fig. 1. Implementation of CFG
another script, wav gen.py, that accepts this type of sequence
and generates a wav file.
Grammars can also be compounded, meaning that one
grammar applied to an initial sequence is utilized as input
to another. When several grammar files are sent to gen.py as
parameters, the grammar is composed by calling the first one
mentioned first with the beginning sequence, sending its result
to the second, etc
This can be seen through an example using this YAML file,
song.yaml. This is a file that shows a simple definition of a
song.
A. Programming Implementation Of Sonic System
a) Description: This code shows the corresponding sin
waves for each Note and their frequencies. When we compose
these two grammars together, we get the following, each note
in a song produces a corresponding sin wave which you can
see here.
This sequence was in turn expanded using notes.yaml,
giving us the wave-forms of the notes. If we want to hear this
song, we cannot use gen.py, as it combines waveforms into
a single waveform through addition or multiplication instead Fig. 2. Converting Notes to Waveforms
of sequencing We can use another script to perform this task.
Wavsequencer.py. wavsequencer.py takes an initial sequence
and an arbitrary number of grammar files, like gen.py and R EFERENCES
wavgen.py, expands the initial sequence by composing the
[1] Introduction to compilers and Language Design. (n.d.). Retrieved Jan-
grammars and then uses wavgen.py to render each symbol uary 21, 2022, from http://www3.nd.edu/ dthain/compilerbook/
in the new sequence [2] Dynamic compilation of weighted context-free grammars. (n.d.). Re-
trieved January 21, 2022, from https://aclanthology.org/P98-2147.pdf
ACKNOWLEDGMENT [3] Vı́rseda, Rafael. (2021). Learning Compiler Design: From the Imple-
mentation to Theory. 609-610. 10.1145/3456565.3460041.
I would also like to show my gratitude to the Chakrapani [4] Heaps, heapsort, priority queues - math.uaa.alaska.edu.
Kurra, Devendrasinh Adajania, Rajat Mahajan from Thompson (n.d.). Retrieved January 21, 2022, from
Rivers University for sharing their pearls of wisdom with this http://math.uaa.alaska.edu/ afkjm/cs351/handouts/heaps.pdf
[5] Ariza, C. (n.d.). Project sample: Generative context-free grammars. MIT
research, and I thank Dr. Yan Yan for reviewing insights of OpenCourseWare, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved
the project in the development stage. January 21, 2022, from https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/music-and-theater-
 arts/21m-380-music-and-technology-algorithmic-and-generative-music-
spring-2010/assignments-and-projects/generative-context/

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