High-performance microcoded text parser

A circuit-implemented method for processing input characters in parallel by a text parser, comprising:

• receiving a stream of text characters in sequence, the stream of characters comprising a first character and a second character;
• utilizing a set of state table circuits to select, based on the first character and a first predetermined state of a set of predetermined states and without a value of a current state of the text parser as input, a first possible state and to select, based on the first character and a second predetermined state of the set of predetermined states and without the value of the current state as input, a second possible state from a second state table of the set of state table circuits, the selection of the first possible state and the selection of the second possible state removing a dependence of state table reads on the current state;
• pipelining the second character utilizing the set of state table circuits;
• and
• utilizing an iteration interval circuit to select a first text parser output from among the first possible state and the second possible state in a reduced iteration interval based on the current state.

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory device storing program instructions executable by the processor, the program instructions comprising:
• a first text parser that:
• receives a stream of text characters in sequence, the stream of characters comprising a first character and a second character,
• utilizes a first set of state table circuits to select, based on the first character and a first predetermined state of a set of predetermined states and without a value of a current state of the text parser as input, a first possible state from a first state table circuit of the first set of state table circuits and to select, based on the first character and a second predetermined state of the set of predetermined states and without the value of the current state as input, a second possible state from a second state table circuit of the first set of state table circuits, the selection of the first possible state and the selection of the second possible state removing a dependence of state table reads on the current state,
• pipelines the second character utilizing the set of state table circuits, and
• utilizes an iteration interval circuit to select a first text parser output from among the first possible state and the second possible state in a reduced iteration interval based on the current state.