Questions on the notation used in the spec

[John Cowan]

Jeff Dyer scripsit:

> Alpha, beta, etc are a short-hand for describing similar productions. They
> can be expanded by replicating the parameterised production for each value
> in the corresponding set. E.g.
> 
>    A(alpha) := B(alpha)
> 
> can be rewritten as:
> 
>    A_allowColon := B_allowColon
>    A_noColon := B_noColon

Yet another partial reinvention of Ad van Wijngaarden's two-level
grammars, I see.  Like most reinventions, it generates only a 
finite number of rules, although in principle there is nothing
to prevent recursion in the metarules (those named with Greek
letters here).

(The below .sig was chosen entirely at random.)

-- 
John Cowan  cowan at ccil.org  http://ccil.org/~cowan
In the sciences, we are now uniquely privileged to sit side by side
with the giants on whose shoulders we stand.
        --Gerald Holton