Rule Option Syntax Key

Each rule option page features a "Format" section that describes how the specific rule option can be formatted. Some rule options are simple and specified with just the option name, while others are more complicated and have a mix of required and optional "arguments". This page serves as a key to help understand the syntax that you will find in those sections.

Italicized strings

Italicized strings serve as placeholders for arbitrary values. When one sees this option they must replace it with an appropriate value.

It's important to note italicized strings can be placeholders for different types of data, such as strings or integers, and so one must make sure take that into account when specifying a value or values.

In the following example, the user must write food followed a food value.

food food

For example, food pizza, food cookies, and food cheese would all be valid entries.

Square brackets

Square brackets ([]) indicate that the enclosed item or items are optional. If the items in the square brackets are separated between pipe characters (|), then the rule writer can choose one of the items or none of them.

In the following example, the rule writer can choose pizza or cookies, or none of them.

[pizza|cookies]

And in the following example, the rule writer can optionally add the , nocase string.

[, nocase]

Curly braces

Curly braces ({}) indicate that the rule writer must select one—but only one—of the items separated by pipe characters.

In the following example, the rule writer must choose either pizza or cookies, but not both.

{pizza|cookies}

Ellipses

Three dots (…) indicates that a rule option, a rule option argument, or some other modifier can be repeated any number of times. An ellipsis applies to the entire group that it's in, whether that's a curly-brace group or a square-bracket group.

In the following example, the rule writer must specify the string food plus any number of food items separated by commas.

food food[, food]…

For example, food pizza, cookies, bacon would be a valid entry.