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Motoko grammar

This section describes the concrete syntax, or grammar, of Motoko. The specification is auto-generated with a tool.

<list(X, SEP)> ::= 
<empty>
X
X SEP <list(X, SEP)>

<list1(X, SEP)> ::=
X
X SEP <list(X, SEP)>

<obj_sort> ::=
'object'
'actor'
'module'

<func_sort_opt> ::=
<empty>
'shared' 'query'?
'query'

<shared_pat_opt> ::=
<empty>
'shared' 'query'? <pat_plain>?
'query' <pat_plain>?

<typ_obj> ::=
'{' <list(<typ_field>, ';')> '}'

<typ_variant> ::=
'{' '#' '}'
'{' <list1(<typ_tag>, ';')> '}'

<typ_nullary> ::=
'(' <list(<typ_item>, ',')> ')'
<id> ('.' <id>)* <typ_args>?
'[' 'var'? <typ> ']'
<typ_obj>
<typ_variant>

<typ_un> ::=
<typ_nullary>
'?' <typ_un>

<typ_pre> ::=
<typ_un>
'async' <typ_pre>
'async*' <typ_pre>
<obj_sort> <typ_obj>

<typ_nobin> ::=
<typ_pre>
<func_sort_opt> ('<' <list(<typ_bind>, ',')> '>')? <typ_un> '->' <typ_nobin>

<typ> ::=
<typ_nobin>
<typ> 'and' <typ>
<typ> 'or' <typ>

<typ_item> ::=
<id> ':' <typ>
<typ>

<typ_args> ::=
'<' <list(<typ>, ',')> '>'

<typ_field> ::=
'type' <id> ('<' <list(<typ_bind>, ',')> '>')? '=' <typ>
'var'? <id> ':' <typ>
<id> ('<' <list(<typ_bind>, ',')> '>')? <typ_nullary> ':' <typ>

<typ_tag> ::=
'#' <id> (':' <typ>)?

<typ_bind> ::=
<id> '<:' <typ>
<id>

<lit> ::=
'null'
<bool>
<nat>
<float>
<char>
<text>

<unop> ::=
'+'
'-'
'^'

<binop> ::=
'+'
'-'
'*'
'/'
'%'
'**'
'+%'
'-%'
'*%'
'**%'
'&'
'|'
'^'
'<<'
' >>'
'<<>'
'<>>'
'#'

<relop> ::=
'=='
'!='
' < '
'<='
' > '
'>='

<unassign> ::=
'+='
'-='
'^='

<binassign> ::=
'+='
'-='
'*='
'/='
'%='
'**-'
'+%='
'-%='
'*%='
'**%='
'&='
'|='
'^='
'<<='
'>>='
'<<>='
'<>>='
'@='

<exp_obj> ::=
'{' <list(<exp_field>, ';')> '}'
'{' <exp_post> 'and' <exp_post> ('and' <exp_post>)* '}'
'{' <exp_post> ('and' <exp_post>)* 'with' <list1(<exp_field>, ';')> '}'

<exp_plain> ::=
<lit>
'(' <list(<exp>, ',')> ')'

<exp_nullary> ::=
<exp_obj>
<exp_plain>
<id>

<exp_post> ::=
<exp_nullary>
'[' 'var'? <list(<exp_nonvar>, ',')> ']'
<exp_post> '[' <exp> ']'
<exp_post> '.'<nat>
<exp_post> '.' <id>
<exp_post> ('<' <list(<typ>, ',')> '>')? <exp_nullary>
<exp_post> '!'
'(' 'system' <exp_post> '.' <id> ')'

<exp_un> ::=
<exp_post>
'#' <id>
'#' <id> <exp_nullary>
'?' <exp_un>
<unop> <exp_un>
<unassign> <exp_un>
'actor' <exp_plain>
'not' <exp_un>
'debug_show' <exp_un>
'to_candid' '(' <list(<exp>, ',')> ')'
'from_candid' <exp_un>

<exp_bin> ::=
<exp_un>
<exp_bin> <binop> <exp_bin>
<exp_bin> <relop> <exp_bin>
<exp_bin> 'and' <exp_bin>
<exp_bin> 'or' <exp_bin>
<exp_bin> ':' <typ_nobin>

<exp_nondec> ::=
<exp_bin>
<exp_bin> ':=' <exp>
<exp_bin> <binassign> <exp>
'return' <exp>?
'async' <exp_nest>
'async*' <block>
'await' <exp_nest>
'await*' <exp_nest>
'assert' <exp_nest>
'label' <id> (':' <typ>)? <exp_nest>
'break' <id> <exp_nullary>?
'continue' <id>
'debug' <exp_nest>
'if' <exp_nullary> <exp_nest>
'if' <exp_nullary> <exp_nest> 'else' <exp_nest>
'try' <exp_nest> <catch>
'throw' <exp_nest>
'switch' <exp_nullary> '{' <list(<case>, ';')> '}'
'while' <exp_nullary> <exp_nest>
'loop' <exp_nest>
'loop' <exp_nest> 'while' <exp_nest>
'for' '(' <pat> 'in' <exp> ')' <exp_nest>
'ignore' <exp_nest>
'do' <block>
'do' '?' <block>

<exp_nonvar> ::=
<exp_nondec>
<dec_nonvar>

<exp> ::=
<exp_nonvar>
<dec_var>

<exp_nest> ::=
<block>
<exp>

<block> ::=
'{' <list(<dec>, ';')> '}'

<case> ::=
'case' <pat_nullary> <exp_nest>

<catch> ::=
'catch' <pat_nullary> <exp_nest>

<exp_field> ::=
'var'? <id> (':' <typ>)?
'var'? <id> (':' <typ>)? '=' <exp>

<dec_field> ::=
<vis> <stab> <dec>

<vis> ::=
<empty>
'private'
'public'
'system'

<stab> ::=
<empty>
'flexible'
'stable'

<pat_plain> ::=
'_'
<id>
<lit>
'(' <list(<pat_bin>, ',')> ')'

<pat_nullary> ::=
<pat_plain>
'{' <list(<pat_field>, ';')> '}'

<pat_un> ::=
<pat_nullary>
'#' <id>
'#' <id> <pat_nullary>
'?' <pat_un>
<unop> <lit>

<pat_bin> ::=
<pat_un>
<pat_bin> 'or' <pat_bin>
<pat_bin> ':' <typ>

<pat> ::=
<pat_bin>

<pat_field> ::=
<id> (':' <typ>)?
<id> (':' <typ>)? '=' <pat>

<dec_var> ::=
'var' <id> (':' <typ>)? '=' <exp>

<dec_nonvar> ::=
'let' <pat> '=' <exp>
'type' <id> ('<' <list(<typ_bind>, ',')> '>')? '=' <typ>
<obj_sort> <id>? '='? <obj_body>
<shared_pat_opt> 'func' <id>? ('<' <list(<typ_bind>, ',')> '>')? <pat_plain> (':' <typ>)? <func_body>
<shared_pat_opt> <obj_sort>? 'class' <id>? ('<' <list(<typ_bind>, ',')> '>')? <pat_plain> (':' <typ>)? <class_body>

<dec> ::=
<dec_var>
<dec_nonvar>
<exp_nondec>
'let' <pat> '=' <exp> 'else' <exp_nest>

<func_body> ::=
'=' <exp>
<block>

<obj_body> ::=
'{' <list(<dec_field>, ';')> '}'

<class_body> ::=
'=' <id>? <obj_body>
<obj_body>

<imp> ::=
'import' <pat_nullary> '='? <text>

<prog> ::=
<list(<imp>, ';')> <list(<dec>, ';')>