Notes on Syntax Files The files OVERVIEW SYNTAX, DOCUMENT SYNTAX, BASICS SYNTAX, SGMLDECL SYNTAX, and DTD SYNTAX contain the formal syntactic definition of SGML. The formal productions are transcribed from ISO 8879, with occasional commentary; unlike the standard, the syntax files are designed for convenient study. Each non-terminal is identified, every time it appears, with the number of its defining production in ISO 8879. For each group, the files provide: - a graphic representation of the dependencies among the productions - cross references to productions outside the group - lists of productions which refer to the group, or to individual productions within the group In addition, the productions needed for understanding or parsing an SGML document (in DOCUMENT SYNTAX) have been separated from those needed for the SGML declaration (SGMLDECL SYNTAX) and the SGML document type declaration (DTD SYNTAX). Productions required in each partial grammar are either repeated (when they occur infrequently) or described in a file of common constructs (BASICS SYNTAX). The overarching definition of an SGML document is provided in OVERVIEW SYNTAX. The syntax files are (a) not entirely complete (some cross references are incomplete, and not all details have been proofread) and (b) probably not wholly comprehensible without reference to the standard or to some other sources on SGML. They are made available nevertheless in the hope that they may make study of the standard easier for those interested. It should also be recalled that the syntax defined in the files is that of SGML, not that of the TEI, which is a subset of SGML. A similar presentation of the TEI's subset of SGML is contemplated and will be made available through similar means. Comments and corrections to the undersigned, please. Many thanks. -C. M. Sperberg-McQueen U35395@UICVM.bitnet or u35395@uicvm.cc.uic.edu ACH / ACL / ALLC Text Encoding Initiative University of Illinois at Chicago