check if matching a HEREDOC state
function() {
    const revert = this.offset;
    if (
      this._input[this.offset - 1] === "<" &&
      this._input[this.offset] === "<" &&
      this._input[this.offset + 1] === "<"
    ) {
      this.offset += 3;

      // optional tabs / spaces
      if (this.is_TABSPACE()) {
        while (this.offset < this.size) {
          this.offset++;
          if (!this.is_TABSPACE()) {
            break;
          }
        }
      }

      // optional quotes
      let tChar = this._input[this.offset - 1];
      if (tChar === "'" || tChar === '"') {
        this.offset++;
      } else {
        tChar = null;
      }

      // required label
      if (this.is_LABEL_START()) {
        let yyoffset = this.offset - 1;
        while (this.offset < this.size) {
          this.offset++;
          if (!this.is_LABEL()) {
            break;
          }
        }
        const yylabel = this._input.substring(yyoffset, this.offset - 1);
        if (!tChar || tChar === this._input[this.offset - 1]) {
          // required ending quote
          if (tChar) this.offset++;
          // require newline
          if (
            this._input[this.offset - 1] === "\r" ||
            this._input[this.offset - 1] === "\n"
          ) {
            // go go go
            this.heredoc_label = yylabel;
            yyoffset = this.offset - revert;
            this.offset = revert;
            this.consume(yyoffset);
            if (tChar === "'") {
              this.begin("ST_NOWDOC");
            } else {
              this.begin("ST_HEREDOC");
            }
            return this.tok.T_START_HEREDOC;
          }
        }
      }
    }
    this.offset = revert;
    return false;
  }