code: def get_cont_state(self, string, backward=False):
          
          if string is None:
              return ()
          for _ in self.parser(self.scanner(string, True), True):
              if backward and len(self.parser.state[0]):
                  break
          state = tuple(self.parser.state)
          self.scanner.reset()
          self.parser.reset()
          return state
docs: Get initial states from input string.
  
          Parameters
          ----------
          string : `str` or `None`
          backward : `bool`
  
          Returns
          -------
          `tuple` of `str`