rulelist       =  1*( rule / (*c-wsp c-nl) )

         rule           =  rulename defined-as elements c-nl
                                ; continues if next line starts
                                ;  with white space

         rulename       =  ALPHA *(ALPHA / DIGIT / "-")

         defined-as     =  *c-wsp ("=" / "=/") *c-wsp
                                ; basic rules definition and
                                ;  incremental alternatives

         elements       =  alternation *c-wsp

         c-wsp          =  WSP / (c-nl WSP)

         c-nl           =  comment / CRLF
                                ; comment or newline

         comment        =  ";" *(WSP / VCHAR) CRLF

         alternation    =  concatenation
                           *(*c-wsp "/" *c-wsp concatenation)

         concatenation  =  repetition *(1*c-wsp repetition)

         repetition     =  [repeat] element

         repeat         =  1*DIGIT / (*DIGIT "*" *DIGIT)

         element        =  rulename / group / option /
                           char-val / num-val / prose-val

         group          =  "(" *c-wsp alternation *c-wsp ")"

         option         =  "[" *c-wsp alternation *c-wsp "]"

         char-val       =  DQUOTE *(%x20-21 / %x23-7E) DQUOTE
                                ; quoted string of SP and VCHAR
                                ;  without DQUOTE

         num-val        =  "%" (bin-val / dec-val / hex-val)

         bin-val        =  "b" 1*BIT
                           [ 1*("." 1*BIT) / ("-" 1*BIT) ]
                                ; series of concatenated bit values
                                ;  or single ONEOF range

         dec-val        =  "d" 1*DIGIT
                           [ 1*("." 1*DIGIT) / ("-" 1*DIGIT) ]

         hex-val        =  "x" 1*HEXDIG
                           [ 1*("." 1*HEXDIG) / ("-" 1*HEXDIG) ]

         prose-val      =  "<" *(%x20-3D / %x3F-7E) ">"
                                ; bracketed string of SP and VCHAR
                                ;  without angles
                                ; prose description, to be used as
                                ;  last resort