What is the simplest and universal parsing algorithm?

I need to do some project specific automatic checking of source codes written in C++

Limitations:

• Algorithm and its implementation should be simple, easily maintainable, extendable and understandable without need of Computer Science degree.


• Speed and memory consumption of algorithm does not matter. I can run it at night and see result next morning. So it can be 100-1000x slower than fast but hard to maintain algorithms.


• I want to write it myself and have fine control about it. No parser generator tools like flex, bison etc.


• I dont want to use existing C++ parsers like CLang etc.


• Please in answer dont use formal language theory. Try to explain it with simple language, understandable to ordinary self-taught programmer.

So what is the best and easy to implement universal parsing algorithm if we assume speed and memory is not an issue?