Universal Ctags: How to combine the shell and awk parsers for a shell script file?

Question

So I think I know how to define a new language and add it as a shared sub-parser for shell script files. Add to ~/.ctags.d/myLang.ctags:

--langdef=myLang{base=Sh}{shared}
--langmap=myLang:+.myext
--regex-myLang=...

# ctags --list-subparsers=Sh
#NAME   BASEPARSER DIRECTIONS
Bats    Sh         base <= sub {dedicated}
MyLang  Sh         base => sub {shared}

How can I also add the awk parser to the Sh language so that ctags --list-subparsers=Sh would produce the following output:

# ctags --list-subparsers=Sh
#NAME    BASEPARSER DIRECTIONS
Awk     Sh         base => sub {shared}
Bats    Sh         base <= sub {dedicated}
MyLang  Sh         base => sub {shared}

In other words, I want to scan shell script files for the combined matches of the Sh, Awk and myLang patterns at once. Is this possible, and can it be specified entirely with files in ~/.ctags.d/ ?

I didn't try --langdef=Awk etc. as for the fictitious myLang example because Awk is a builtin parser.

Answer 1

It seems 'subparser' is unsuitable for your goal. 'subparser' is for specialization. 'guest parser' may fit your goal.

/tmp/foo.ctags:

--extras=+{guest}

--langdef=myLang
--langmap=myLang:+.myext

--kinddef-myLang=p,proc,prodcedure
--regex-myLang=/<my-proc>([a-zA-Z]+):/\1/p/

--mline-regex-myLang=/((.|[\n])+)//{_guest=C,1start,1end}
--mline-regex-myLang=/((.|[\n])+)//{_guest=Lisp,1start,1end}
--mline-regex-myLang=/((.|[\n])+)//{_guest=Sh,1start,1end}

input.myext

/*
function shellFunc()
{
    echo 1
}

cat <<EOF
*/

int Cfunc(void)
{
    return 0;
}

/*

(defun lispFunc () nil)

<my-proc>myLangProc: reboot!

EOF
# */

Run:

$ ctags --options=NONE --sort=no --fields=+Kl --options=/tmp/foo.ctags -o - /tmp/input.myext
ctags: Notice: No options will be read from files or environment
myLangProc  /tmp/input.myext    /^<my-proc>myLangProc: reboot!$/;"  proc    language:myLang
Cfunc   /tmp/input.myext    /^int Cfunc(void)$/;"   function    language:C  typeref:typename:int
lispFunc    /tmp/input.myext    /^(defun lispFunc () nil)$/;"   function    language:Lisp
shellFunc   /tmp/input.myext    /^function shellFunc()$/;"  function    language:Sh
EOF /tmp/input.myext    /^cat <<EOF$/;" heredoc language:Sh

In this example, I run C, Lisp, and Sh parsers as guests hosted by myLang parser. However, you can change them as you want. If your version works fine, you can put them to ~/.ctags.d/mylang.ctags.