Augmented BNF for Syntax Specifications: ABNF
RFC 2234

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Network Working Group                                     D. Crocker, Ed.
Request for Comments: 2234                       Internet Mail Consortium
Category: Standards Track                                      P. Overell
                                                      Demon Internet Ltd.
                                                            November 1997

             Augmented BNF for Syntax Specifications: ABNF

Status of this Memo

   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.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1997).  All Rights Reserved.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

   1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................  2

   2. RULE DEFINITION ...............................................  2
   2.1 RULE NAMING ..................................................  2
   2.2 RULE FORM ....................................................  3
   2.3 TERMINAL VALUES ..............................................  3
   2.4 EXTERNAL ENCODINGS ...........................................  5

   3. OPERATORS .....................................................  5
   3.1 CONCATENATION    RULE1     RULE2 .............................  5
   3.2 ALTERNATIVES RULE1 / RULE2 ...................................  6
   3.3 INCREMENTAL ALTERNATIVES   RULE1 =/ RULE2 ....................  6
   3.4 VALUE RANGE ALTERNATIVES   %C##-## ...........................  7
   3.5 SEQUENCE GROUP (RULE1 RULE2) .................................  7
   3.6 VARIABLE REPETITION *RULE ....................................  8
   3.7 SPECIFIC REPETITION NRULE ....................................  8
   3.8 OPTIONAL SEQUENCE [RULE] .....................................  8
   3.9 ; COMMENT ....................................................  8
   3.10 OPERATOR PRECEDENCE .........................................  9

   4. ABNF DEFINITION OF ABNF .......................................  9

   5. SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS ....................................... 10

Crocker & Overell           Standards Track                     [Page 1]
RFC 2234             ABNF for Syntax Specifications        November 1997

   6. APPENDIX A - CORE ............................................. 11
   6.1 CORE RULES ................................................... 11
   6.2 COMMON ENCODING .............................................. 12

   7. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................... 12

   8. REFERENCES .................................................... 13

   9. CONTACT ....................................................... 13

   10. FULL COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ..................................... 14

1.   INTRODUCTION

   Internet technical specifications often need to define a format
   syntax and are free to employ whatever notation their authors deem
   useful.  Over the years, a modified version of Backus-Naur Form
   (BNF), called Augmented BNF (ABNF), has been popular among many
   Internet specifications.  It balances compactness and simplicity,
   with reasonable representational power.  In the early days of the
   Arpanet, each specification contained its own definition of ABNF.
   This included the email specifications, RFC733 and then RFC822 which
   have come to be the common citations for defining ABNF.  The current
   document separates out that definition, to permit selective
   reference.  Predictably, it also provides some modifications and
   enhancements.

   The differences between standard BNF and ABNF involve naming rules,
   repetition, alternatives, order-independence, and value ranges.
   Appendix A (Core) supplies rule definitions and encoding for a core
   lexical analyzer of the type common to several Internet
   specifications.  It is provided as a convenience and is otherwise
   separate from the meta language defined in the body of this document,
   and separate from its formal status.

2.   RULE DEFINITION

2.1  Rule Naming

   The name of a rule is simply the name itself; that is, a sequence of
   characters, beginning with  an alphabetic character, and followed by
   a combination of alphabetics, digits and hyphens (dashes).

        NOTE:     Rule names are case-insensitive

   The names <rulename>, <Rulename>, <RULENAME> and <rUlENamE> all refer
   to the same rule.

Crocker & Overell           Standards Track                     [Page 2]
RFC 2234             ABNF for Syntax Specifications        November 1997

   Unlike original BNF, angle brackets ("<", ">") are not  required.
   However, angle brackets may be used around a rule name whenever their
   presence will facilitate discerning the use of  a rule name.  This is
   typically restricted to rule name references in free-form prose, or