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doc_id_syntax Class Reference

Detailed Description

SBML has strict requirements for the syntax of identifiers, that is, the values of the "id" attribute present on most types of SBML objects. The following is a summary of the definition of the SBML identifier type SId, which defines the permitted syntax of identifiers. We express the syntax using an extended form of BNF notation:
   letter ::= 'a'..'z','A'..'Z'
   digit  ::= '0'..'9'
   idChar ::= letter | digit | '_'
   SId    ::= ( letter | '_' ) idChar*
   
The characters ( and ) are used for grouping, the character * "zero or more times", and the character | indicates logical "or". The equality of SBML identifiers is determined by an exact character sequence match; i.e., comparisons must be performed in a case-sensitive manner. In addition, there are a few conditions for the uniqueness of identifiers in an SBML model. Please consult the SBML specifications for the exact details of the uniqueness requirements.