RFC 4234 on Augmented BNF for Syntax Specifications: ABNF

A new Request for Comments is now available in online RFC libraries.

        RFC 4234

        Title:      Augmented BNF for Syntax Specifications: ABNF
        Author(s):  D. Crocker, Ed., P. Overell
        Status:     Standards Track
        Date:       October 2005
        Mailbox:    dcrocker@bbiw.net, paul.overell@thus.net
        Pages:      16
        Characters: 26351
        Obsoletes:  2234

        I-D Tag:    draft-crocker-abnf-rfc2234bis-00.txt

        URL:        ftp://ftp.rfc-editor.org/in-notes/rfc4234.txt

Internet technical specifications often need to define a formal
syntax.  Over the years, a modified version of Backus-Naur Form (BNF),
called Augmented BNF (ABNF), has been popular among many Internet
specifications.  The current specification documents ABNF.  It
balances compactness and simplicity, with reasonable representational
power.  The differences between standard BNF and ABNF involve naming
rules, repetition, alternatives, order-independence, and value
ranges.  This specification also supplies additional rule definitions
and encoding for a core lexical analyzer of the type common to
several Internet specifications.

This is now a Draft Standard Protocol.

This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for
the Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions
for improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the
"Internet Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the
standardization state and status of this protocol.  Distribution
of this memo is unlimited.

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USC/Information Sciences Institute

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