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To be added to Introduction: Later in 2020, the syntax was updated (v1.2) to support the following features:
- Default slot values
- Inter-slot cross references
- SameValue and allOrNone constraints
The following ABNF definition specifies the SNOMED CT template syntax. This syntax incorporates the Expression Constraint Language version 1.3 (ECL v1.3), with some adaptations to support slot references.
Please note that some of the rules referenced below are defined elsewhere. In particular, definitionStatus and expression are defined in SNOMED CT compositional grammar. These rule definitions must therefore be combined with the syntax below before it can be used.
; Template Syntax v1.1
templateSlot = templateReplacementSlot / templateInformationSlot
templateReplacementSlot = conceptReplacementSlot / expressionReplacementSlot / tokenReplacementSlot / concreteValueReplacementSlot
conceptReplacementSlot = "[[" ws "+" ws conceptReplacement [slotName ws] "]]"
expressionReplacementSlot = "[[" ws "+" ws expressionReplacement [slotName ws] "]]"
tokenReplacementSlot = "[[" ws "+" ws tokenReplacement [slotName ws] "]]"
concreteValueReplacementSlot = "[[" ws "+" ws concreteValueReplacement [slotName ws] "]]"
conceptReplacement = "id" ws [ "(" ws slotExpressionConstraint ws ")" ws] [conceptDefault ws]
expressionReplacement = ["scg" ws] ["(" ws slotExpressionConstraint ws ")" ws] [expressionDefault ws]
tokenReplacement = "tok" ws [ "(" ws slotTokenSet ws ")" ws] [tokenDefault ws]
concreteValueReplacement = stringReplacement / integerReplacement / decimalReplacement / booleanReplacement
stringReplacement = "str" ws [ "(" ws slotStringSet ws ")" ws] [stringDefault ws]
integerReplacement = "int" ws [ "(" ws slotIntegerSet ws ")" ws] [integerDefault ws]
decimalReplacement = "dec" ws [ "(" ws slotDecimalSet ws ")" ws] [decimalDefault ws]
booleanReplacement = "bool" ws [ "(" ws slotBooleanSet ws ")" ws] [booleanDefault ws]
slotTokenSet = slotToken *(mws slotToken)
slotStringSet = slotString *(mws slotString)
slotIntegerSet = ( slotIntegerValue / slotIntegerRange) *(mws (slotIntegerValue / slotIntegerRange))
slotDecimalSet = ( slotDecimalValue / slotDecimalRange) *(mws (slotDecimalValue / slotDecimalRange))
slotBooleanSet = slotBooleanValue *(mws slotBooleanValue)
slotIntegerRange = ( slotIntegerMinimum to [ slotIntegerMaximum ] ) / ( to slotIntegerMaximum )
slotIntegerMinimum = [ exclusiveMinimum ] slotIntegerValue
slotIntegerMaximum = [ exclusiveMaximum ] slotIntegerValue
slotIntegerValue = "#" digitNonZero *digit / "#" zero / slotReference
slotDecimalRange = ( slotDecimalMinimum to [ slotDecimalMaximum ] ) / ( to slotDecimalMaximum )
slotDecimalMinimum = [ exclusiveMinimum ] slotDecimalValue
slotDecimalMaximum = [ exclusiveMaximum ] slotDecimalValue
slotDecimalValue = "#" integerValue "." 1*digit
exclusiveMinimum = ">"
exclusiveMaximum = "<"
slotBooleanValue = true / false
true = ("t"/"T") ("r"/"R") ("u"/"U") ("e"/"E")
false = ("f"/"F") ("a"/"A") ("l"/"L") ("s"/"S") ("e"/"E")
slotName = "@" (nonQuoteStringValue / slotString)
slotReference = "$" (nonQuoteStringValue / QM stringValue QM) [ws slotArrayReference]
slotReferenceList = slotReference *(ws "," ws slotReference)
slotArrayReference = "[" ws [numericComparisonOperator ws] (integerValue / self) ws "]"
self = ("s"/"S") ("e"/"E") ("l"/"L") ("f"/"F")
slotToken = definitionStatus / memberOf / constraintOperator / conjunction / disjunction / exclusion / reverseFlag / expressionComparisonOperator / numericComparisonOperator / stringComparisonOperator / booleanComparisonOperator / slotReference
slotString = QM stringValue QM
nonQuoteStringValue = *(%x21 / %x23-26 / %x2A-3F / %x41-5A / %x5C / %x5E-7E) ; string with no ws, quotes, at, square brackets or round brackets
conceptDefault = default ws "(" ws conceptId ws ")"
expressionDefault = default ws "(" ws expression ws ")"
tokenDefault = default ws "(" ws slotToken ws ")"
stringDefault = default ws "(" ws slotString ws ")"
integerDefault = default ws "(" ws "#" integerValue ws ")"
decimalDefault = default ws "(" ws "#" decimalValue ws ")"
booleanDefault = default ws "(" ws booleanValue ws ")"
default = ("d"/"D") ("e"/"E") ("f"/"F") ("a"/"A") ("u"/"U") ("l"/"L") ("t"/"T")
templateInformationSlot = "[[" ws slotInformation ws "]]"
slotInformation = [cardinality ws] [slotName ws] *(sameValue / allOrNone)
sameValue = ("s"/"S") ("a"/"A") ("m"/"M") ("e"/"E") ("v"/"V") ("a"/"A") ("l"/"L") ("u"/"U") ("e"/"E") ws "(" ws slotReferenceList ws ")"
allOrNone = ("a"/"A") ("l"/"L") ("l"/"L") ("o"/"O") ("r"/"R") ("n"/"N") ("o"/"O") ("n"/"N") ("e"/"E") ws "(" ws slotReferenceList ws ")"
; Expression Constraint Language v1.4 with slot References
slotExpressionConstraint = ws ( slotRefinedExpressionConstraint / slotCompoundExpressionConstraint / slotDottedExpressionConstraint / slotSubExpressionConstraint ) ws
slotRefinedExpressionConstraint = slotSubExpressionConstraint ws ":" ws slotEclRefinement
slotCompoundExpressionConstraint = slotConjunctionExpressionConstraint / slotDisjunctionExpressionConstraint / slotExclusionExpressionConstraint
slotConjunctionExpressionConstraint = slotSubExpressionConstraint 1*(ws conjunction ws slotSubExpressionConstraint)
slotDisjunctionExpressionConstraint = slotSubExpressionConstraint 1*(ws disjunction ws slotSubExpressionConstraint)
slotExclusionExpressionConstraint = slotSubExpressionConstraint ws exclusion ws slotSubExpressionConstraint
slotDottedExpressionConstraint = slotSubExpressionConstraint 1*(ws slotDottedExpressionAttribute)
slotDottedExpressionAttribute = dot ws slotEclAttributeName
slotSubExpressionConstraint = [constraintOperator ws] [memberOf ws] (slotEclFocusConcept / "(" ws slotExpressionConstraint ws ")")
slotEclFocusConcept = slotEclConceptReference / wildCard
dot = "."
memberOf = "^"
slotEclConceptReference = conceptId [ws "|" ws term ws "|"] / slotReference
conceptId = sctId
term = 1*nonwsNonPipe *( 1*SP 1*nonwsNonPipe )
wildcard = "*"
constraintOperator = childOf / descendantOrSelfOf / descendantOf / parentOf / ancestorOrSelfOf / ancestorOf
descendantOf = "<"
descendantOrSelfOf = "<<"
childOf = "<!"
ancestorOf = ">"
ancestorOrSelfOf = ">>"
parentOf = ">!"
conjunction = (("a"/"A") ("n"/"N") ("d"/"D") mws) / ","
disjunction = ("o"/"O") ("r"/"R") mws
exclusion = ("m"/"M") ("i"/"I") ("n"/"N") ("u"/"U") ("s"/"S") mws
slotEclRefinement = slotSubRefinement ws [slotConjunctionRefinementSet / slotDisjunctionRefinementSet]
slotConjunctionRefinementSet = 1*(ws conjunction ws slotSubRefinement)
slotDisjunctionRefinementSet = 1*(ws disjunction ws slotSubRefinement)
slotSubRefinement = slotEclAttributeSet / slotEclAttributeGroup / "(" ws slotEclRefinement ws ")"
slotEclAttributeSet = slotSubAttributeSet ws [slotConjunctionAttributeSet / slotDisjunctionAttributeSet]
slotConjunctionAttributeSet = 1*(ws conjunction ws slotSubAttributeSet)
slotDisjunctionAttributeSet = 1*(ws disjunction ws slotSubAttributeSet)
slotSubAttributeSet = slotEclAttribute / "(" ws slotEclAttributeSet ws ")"
slotEclAttributeGroup = ["[" cardinality "]" ws] "{" ws slotEclAttributeSet ws "}"
slotEclAttribute = ["[" cardinality "]" ws] [reverseFlag ws] slotEclAttributeName ws (expressionComparisonOperator ws slotSubExpressionConstraint / numericComparisonOperator ws slotNumericValue / stringComparisonOperator ws slotStringValue / booleanComparisonOperator ws booleanValue)
cardinality = minValue to maxValue
minValue = nonNegativeIntegerValue
to = ".."
maxValue = nonNegativeIntegerValue / many
many = "*"
reverseFlag = "R"
slotEclAttributeName = slotSubExpressionConstraint
expressionComparisonOperator = "=" / "!="
numericComparisonOperator = "=" / "!=" / "<=" / "<" / ">=" / ">"
stringComparisonOperator = "=" / "!="
booleanComparisonOperator = "=" / "!="
slotNumericValue = "#" ["-"/"+"] (slotDecimalValue / slotIntegerValue) / slotReference
slotStringValue = QM 1*(anyNonEscapedChar / escapedChar) QM / slotReference
integerValue = digitNonZero *digit / zero
decimalValue = integerValue "." 1*digit
slotBooleanValue = true / false / slotReference
true = ("t"/"T") ("r"/"R") ("u"/"U") ("e"/"E")
false = ("f"/"F") ("a"/"A") ("l"/"L") ("s"/"S") ("e"/"E")
nonNegativeIntegerValue = (digitNonZero *digit ) / zero
sctId = digitNonZero 5*17( digit )
ws = *( SP / HTAB / CR / LF / comment ) ; optional white space
mws = 1*( SP / HTAB / CR / LF / comment ) ; mandatory white space
comment = "/*" *(nonStarChar / starWithNonFSlash) "*/"
nonStarChar = SP / HTAB / CR / LF / %x21-29 / %x2B-7E /UTF8-2 / UTF8-3 / UTF8-4
starWithNonFSlash = %x2A nonFSlash
nonFSlash = SP / HTAB / CR / LF / %x21-2E / %x30-7E /UTF8-2 / UTF8-3 / UTF8-4
SP = %x20 ; space
HTAB = %x09 ; tab
CR = %x0D ; carriage return
LF = %x0A ; line feed
QM = %x22 ; quotation mark
BS = %x5C ; back slash
digit = %x30-39
zero = %x30
digitNonZero = %x31-39
nonwsNonPipe = %x21-7B / %x7D-7E / UTF8-2 / UTF8-3 / UTF8-4
anyNonEscapedChar = SP / HTAB / CR / LF / %x20-21 / %x23-5B / %x5D-7E / UTF8-2 / UTF8-3 / UTF8-4
escapedChar = BS QM / BS BS
UTF8-2 = %xC2-DF UTF8-tail
UTF8-3 = %xE0 %xA0-BF UTF8-tail / %xE1-EC 2( UTF8-tail ) / %xED %x80-9F UTF8-tail / %xEE-EF 2( UTF8-tail )
UTF8-4 = %xF0 %x90-BF 2( UTF8-tail ) / %xF1-F3 3( UTF8-tail ) / %xF4 %x80-8F 2( UTF8-tail )
UTF8-tail = %x80-BF
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