FF *
parse_format()
{
    FF froot;
    FF *flinebeg;
    char *eol;
    register FF *fprev = &froot;
    register FF *fcmd;
    register char *s;
    register char *t;
    register SV *sv;
    bool noblank;
    bool repeater;

    Zero(&froot, 1, FF);
    s = bufptr;
    while (s < bufend || (rsfp && (s = sv_gets(linestr,rsfp, 0)) != Nullch)) {
	curcop->cop_line++;
	if (in_eval && !rsfp) {
	    eol = index(s,'\n');
	    if (!eol++)
		eol = bufend;
	}
	else
	    eol = bufend = linestr->sv_ptr + linestr->sv_cur;
	if (perldb) {
	    SV *tmpstr = NEWSV(89,0);

	    sv_setpvn(tmpstr, s, eol-s);
	    av_store(GvAV(curcop->cop_filegv), (int)curcop->cop_line,tmpstr);
	}
	if (*s == '.') {
	    /*SUPPRESS 530*/
	    for (t = s+1; *t == ' ' || *t == '\t'; t++) ;
	    if (*t == '\n') {
		bufptr = s;
		return froot.ff_next;
	    }
	}
	if (*s == '#') {
	    s = eol;
	    continue;
	}
	flinebeg = Nullfield;
	noblank = FALSE;
	repeater = FALSE;
	while (s < eol) {
	    Newz(804,fcmd,1,FF);
	    fprev->ff_next = fcmd;
	    fprev = fcmd;
	    for (t=s; t < eol && *t != '@' && *t != '^'; t++) {
		if (*t == '~') {
		    noblank = TRUE;
		    *t = ' ';
		    if (t[1] == '~') {
			repeater = TRUE;
			t[1] = ' ';
		    }
		}
	    }
	    fcmd->ff_pre = nsavestr(s, t-s);
	    fcmd->ff_presize = t-s;
	    s = t;
	    if (s >= eol) {
		if (noblank)
		    fcmd->ff_flags |= FFf_NOBLANK;
		if (repeater)
		    fcmd->ff_flags |= FFf_REPEAT;
		break;
	    }
	    if (!flinebeg)
		flinebeg = fcmd;		/* start values here */
	    if (*s++ == '^')
		fcmd->ff_flags |= FFf_CHOP;	/* for doing text filling */
	    switch (*s) {
	    case '*':
		fcmd->ff_type = FFt_LINES;
		*s = '\0';
		break;
	    case '<':
		fcmd->ff_type = FFt_LEFT;
		while (*s == '<')
		    s++;
		break;
	    case '>':
		fcmd->ff_type = FFt_RIGHT;
		while (*s == '>')
		    s++;
		break;
	    case '|':
		fcmd->ff_type = FFt_CENTER;
		while (*s == '|')
		    s++;
		break;
	    case '#':
	    case '.':
		/* Catch the special case @... and handle it as a string
		   field. */
		if (*s == '.' && s[1] == '.') {
		    goto default_format;
		}
		fcmd->ff_type = FFt_DECIMAL;
		{
		    char *p;

		    /* Read a run_format in the form @####.####, where either group
		       of ### may be empty, or the final .### may be missing. */
		    while (*s == '#')
			s++;
		    if (*s == '.') {
			s++;
			p = s;
			while (*s == '#')
			    s++;
			fcmd->ff_decimals = s-p;
			fcmd->ff_flags |= FFf_DP;
		    } else {
			fcmd->ff_decimals = 0;
		    }
		}
		break;
	    default:
	    default_format:
		fcmd->ff_type = FFt_LEFT;
		break;
	    }
	    if (fcmd->ff_flags & FFf_CHOP && *s == '.') {
		fcmd->ff_flags |= FFf_MORE;
		while (*s == '.')
		    s++;
	    }
	    fcmd->ff_size = s-t;
	}
	if (flinebeg) {
	  again:
	    if (s >= bufend &&
	      (!rsfp || (s = sv_gets(linestr, rsfp, 0)) == Nullch) )
		goto badform;
	    curcop->cop_line++;
	    if (in_eval && !rsfp) {
		eol = index(s,'\n');
		if (!eol++)
		    eol = bufend;
	    }
	    else
		eol = bufend = linestr->sv_ptr + linestr->sv_cur;
	    if (perldb) {
		SV *tmpstr = NEWSV(90,0);

		sv_setpvn(tmpstr, s, eol-s);
		av_store(GvAV(curcop->cop_filegv),
		    (int)curcop->cop_line,tmpstr);
	    }
	    if (strnEQ(s,".\n",2)) {
		bufptr = s;
		yyerror("Missing values line");
		return froot.ff_next;
	    }
	    if (*s == '#') {
		s = eol;
		goto again;
	    }
	    sv = flinebeg->ff_unparsed = NEWSV(91,eol - s);
	    sv->sv_u.sv_hv = curstash;
	    sv_setpvn(sv,"(",1);
	    flinebeg->ff_line = curcop->cop_line;
	    eol[-1] = '\0';
	    if (!flinebeg->ff_next->ff_type || index(s, ',')) {
		eol[-1] = '\n';
		sv_catpvn(sv, s, eol - s - 1);
		sv_catpvn(sv,",$$);",5);
		s = eol;
	    }
	    else {
		eol[-1] = '\n';
		while (s < eol && isSPACE(*s))
		    s++;
		t = s;
		while (s < eol) {
		    switch (*s) {
		    case ' ': case '\t': case '\n': case ';':
			sv_catpvn(sv, t, s - t);
			sv_catpvn(sv, "," ,1);
			while (s < eol && (isSPACE(*s) || *s == ';'))
			    s++;
			t = s;
			break;
		    case '$':
			sv_catpvn(sv, t, s - t);
			t = s;
			s = scan_ident(s,eol,tokenbuf,FALSE);
			sv_catpvn(sv, t, s - t);
			t = s;
			if (s < eol && *s && index("$'\"",*s))
			    sv_catpvn(sv, ",", 1);
			break;
		    case '"': case '\'':
			sv_catpvn(sv, t, s - t);
			t = s;
			s++;
			while (s < eol && (*s != *t || s[-1] == '\\'))
			    s++;
			if (s < eol)
			    s++;
			sv_catpvn(sv, t, s - t);
			t = s;
			if (s < eol && *s && index("$'\"",*s))
			    sv_catpvn(sv, ",", 1);
			break;
		    default:
			yyerror("Please use commas to separate fields");
		    }
		}
		sv_catpvn(sv,"$$);",4);
	    }
	}
    }
  badform:
    bufptr = SvPV(linestr);
    yyerror("Format not terminated");
    return froot.ff_next;
}