help me with doing this recursively in MIPS

[-EquinoX-]

So I am asked to write a function called parens that will allow me to do this. Say that I have a string (a + (x) * (6 + 14) - q7), then I will get:
(x)
(6 + 14)
(a + (x) * (6 + 14) - q7)

the function parens takes a parameter which is the address of the starting string which is always a '('. The base case here is when it finds ')' then it prints another function called printFormula that takes two parameter, one is the address of the '(' ($a0) and the number of chars to be printed ($a1). Whenever it sees a '(' then it will call the function parens again. My confusion is that what should I do when it's not a '(' or a ')' ?? Can someone help me to develop this function??

[Duoas]

Don't do anything. Just go to the next character. Remember, all you have to do is find matching ().

It would help you an awful lot if you get out a piece of graph paper and draw yourself one of these equations, then figure out how to find and handle each piece yourself.

Hope this helps.

[-EquinoX-]

Don't do anything. Just go to the next character. Remember, all you have to do is find matching ().

It would help you an awful lot if you get out a piece of graph paper and draw yourself one of these equations, then figure out how to find and handle each piece yourself.

Hope this helps.

and what do I do when I get the address of the next character? do I make a recursive call or do I have to jump to the base case? do I actually need to know the length of the string to do this function? do I need somekind of register to track the character in the string one by one?? or is the $a0 (which is one of the function parameter which takes in the address of the starting string, always a '(' in this case). used to do that?? I suppose that the $a0 is changed whenever I found another '(', therefore I can just pass the $a0 whenever I want to print the formula

[Duoas]

Please:

It would help you an awful lot if you get out a piece of graph paper and draw yourself one of these equations, then figure out how to find and handle each piece yourself.

Do that and you'll find an answer to a lot of your questions. The way you keep data in memory and the way you access that data is all up to you.

Hope this helps.

[-EquinoX-]

I tried to make a sketch in a paper,and tried to do this in java language first.. however I have one problem.. if the currentChar is not a '(' or a ')' then I will have to go to the next index of the string right. Then what do I have to do when I go to the next index of the string?? How do I make that so it goes and check again?? How do I know that the next index of the string is not beyond the strings limit, without having to know the strings length??

[Duoas]

There are two pieces of information you need to keep track of:
- where am I in the string?
- how many '('s have I found?

You start out at the first character in the string, with zero '('s found so far.

I suggest you make your function recurse when it finds a '('.

Hope this helps.

[EDIT] Yes, how do you know you are at the end of the string?
In C, the string ends at the first character with a value of zero (not '0', which is a value of 48).