IBM Streams 4.3.0

Grammar notation

This language specification adopts a flavor of Backus-Naur Form (BNF) to describe the syntax of language features.

SPL uses the following conventions:

Table 1. Notations used in SPL
Notations Meaning
Italics Non-terminal.
ALL_CAPS_ITALICS Token. For example, ID for identifiers.
'fixed-width font' Verbatim text that is quoted to avoid confusion with meta-characters. For example: '('
(...) Grouping - to disambiguate meta-syntax precedence.
... | ... Alternatives - to match syntax on either left or right of the bar.
...? The syntax that precedes this notation is optional.
...* The syntax that precedes this notation is repeated zero or more times.
...+ The syntax that precedes this notation is repeated one or more times.
...*, Comma-separated list of zero or more items.
...+, Comma-separated list of one or more items.
...*; Semicolon separated list of zero or more items.
...+; Semicolon separated list of one or more items.
...+. Period separated list of one or more items.
nonTerminal ::= ... Rule definition.