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The following ABNF definition specifies the Brief Syntax of the SNOMED CT Expression Constraint Language. 
This ABNF syntax and the ANTLR syntax is maintained in the SNOMED Expression Constraint Language GitHub repository.

expressionConstraint

 

 = ws ( refinedExpressionConstraint / compoundExpressionConstraint / dottedExpressionConstraint / subExpressionConstraint ) ws

refinedExpressionConstraint

 

 = subExpressionConstraint ws ":" ws eclRefinement

compoundExpressionConstraint

 

 = conjunctionExpressionConstraint / disjunctionExpressionConstraint / exclusionExpressionConstraint

conjunctionExpressionConstraint

 

 = subExpressionConstraint 1*(ws conjunction ws subExpressionConstraint)

disjunctionExpressionConstraint

 

 = subExpressionConstraint 1*(ws disjunction ws subExpressionConstraint)

exclusionExpressionConstraint

 

 = subExpressionConstraint ws exclusion ws subExpressionConstraint

dottedExpressionConstraint

 

 = subExpressionConstraint 1*(ws dottedExpressionAttribute)

dottedExpressionAttribute

 = dot ws eclAttributeName

 = dot ws eclAttributeName
subExpressionConstraint= [constraintOperator ws] ( ( [memberOf ws] (eclFocusConcept /

 

 "(" ws expressionConstraint ws ")") *(ws memberFilterConstraint)) /

 

 (eclFocusConcept /

 

 "(" ws expressionConstraint ws ")") ) *(ws (descriptionFilterConstraint / conceptFilterConstraint))

 

 [

ws historySupplement

ws historySupplement]

eclFocusConcept

 

 = eclConceptReference / wildCard

dot =

 / altIdentifier
dot = "."

memberOf

 

 = "^"

 

 [

 ws

 ws "[" ws (refsetFieldNameSet / wildCard) ws "]" ]

refsetFieldNameSet = refsetFieldName *(ws "," ws refsetFieldName)

refsetFieldName = 1*alpha

eclConceptReference

 

 = conceptId [ws "|" ws term ws "|"]

eclConceptReferenceSet 

eclConceptReferenceSet = "(" ws eclConceptReference 1*(mws eclConceptReference) ws ")"

conceptId

 

 = sctId

term

 

 = 1*nonwsNonPipe *( 1*SP 1*nonwsNonPipe

)

wildCard = "*"

constraintOperator = childOf / childOrSelfOf / descendantOrSelfOf / descendantOf / parentOf / parentOrSelfOf / ancestorOrSelfOf / ancestorOf

descendantOf = "<"

descendantOrSelfOf = "<<"

childOf = "<!"

childOrSelfOf = "<<!"

ancestorOf = ">"

ancestorOrSelfOf = ">>"

parentOf = ">!"

parentOrSelfOf = ">>!"

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

eclRefinement = subRefinement ws [conjunctionRefinementSet / disjunctionRefinementSet]

conjunctionRefinementSet = 1*(ws conjunction ws subRefinement)

disjunctionRefinementSet = 1*(ws disjunction ws subRefinement)

subRefinement = eclAttributeSet / eclAttributeGroup / "(" ws eclRefinement ws ")"

eclAttributeSet = subAttributeSet ws [conjunctionAttributeSet / disjunctionAttributeSet]

conjunctionAttributeSet = 1*(ws conjunction ws subAttributeSet)

disjunctionAttributeSet = 1*(ws disjunction ws subAttributeSet)

subAttributeSet = eclAttribute / "(" ws eclAttributeSet ws ")"

eclAttributeGroup = ["[" cardinality "]" ws] "{" ws eclAttributeSet ws "}"

eclAttribute = ["[" cardinality "]" ws] [reverseFlag ws] eclAttributeName ws (expressionComparisonOperator ws subExpressionConstraint / numericComparisonOperator ws "#" numericValue / stringComparisonOperator ws (typedSearchTerm / typedSearchTermSet) / booleanComparisonOperator ws booleanValue)

cardinality = minValue to maxValue

minValue = nonNegativeIntegerValue

to = ".."

maxValue = nonNegativeIntegerValue / many

many = "*"

reverseFlag = "R"

eclAttributeName = subExpressionConstraint

expressionComparisonOperator = "=" / "!="

numericComparisonOperator = "=" / "!=" / "<=" / "<" / ">=" / ">"

timeComparisonOperator = "=" / "!=" / "<=" / "<" / ">=" / ">"

stringComparisonOperator = "=" / "!="

booleanComparisonOperator = "=" / "!="

descriptionFilterConstraint = "{{" ws [ "d" / "D" ] ws descriptionFilter *(ws "," ws descriptionFilter) ws "}}"

descriptionFilter = termFilter / languageFilter / typeFilter / dialectFilter / moduleFilter / effectiveTimeFilter / activeFilter

termFilter = termKeyword ws stringComparisonOperator ws (typedSearchTerm / typedSearchTermSet)

termKeyword =

 )
altIdentifier = (QM altIdentifierSchemeAlias "#" altIdentifierCodeWithinQuotes QM / altIdentifierSchemeAlias "#" altIdentifierCodeWithoutQuotes) [ws "|" ws term ws "|"]
altIdentifierSchemeAlias = alpha *(dash / alpha / integerValue)
altIdentifierCodeWithinQuotes = 1*anyNonEscapedChar
altIdentifierCodeWithoutQuotes = 1*(alpha / digit / dash / "." / "_")
wildCard = "*"
constraintOperator = childOf / childOrSelfOf / descendantOrSelfOf / descendantOf / parentOf / parentOrSelfOf / ancestorOrSelfOf / ancestorOf / top / bottom
descendantOf = "<"
descendantOrSelfOf = "<<"
childOf = "<!"
childOrSelfOf = "<<!"
ancestorOf = ">"
ancestorOrSelfOf = ">>"
parentOf = ">!"
parentOrSelfOf = ">>!"
top = "!!>"
bottom = "!!<"
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
eclRefinement = subRefinement ws [conjunctionRefinementSet / disjunctionRefinementSet]
conjunctionRefinementSet = 1*(ws conjunction ws subRefinement)
disjunctionRefinementSet = 1*(ws disjunction ws subRefinement)
subRefinement = eclAttributeSet / eclAttributeGroup / "(" ws eclRefinement ws ")"
eclAttributeSet = subAttributeSet ws [conjunctionAttributeSet / disjunctionAttributeSet]
conjunctionAttributeSet = 1*(ws conjunction ws subAttributeSet)
disjunctionAttributeSet = 1*(ws disjunction ws subAttributeSet)
subAttributeSet = eclAttribute / "(" ws eclAttributeSet ws ")"
eclAttributeGroup = ["[" cardinality "]" ws] "{" ws eclAttributeSet ws "}"
eclAttribute = ["[" cardinality "]" ws] [reverseFlag ws] eclAttributeName ws (expressionComparisonOperator ws subExpressionConstraint / numericComparisonOperator ws "#" numericValue / stringComparisonOperator ws (typedSearchTerm / typedSearchTermSet) / booleanComparisonOperator ws booleanValue)
cardinality = minValue to maxValue
minValue = nonNegativeIntegerValue
to = ".."
maxValue = nonNegativeIntegerValue / many
many = "*"
reverseFlag = "R"
eclAttributeName = subExpressionConstraint
expressionComparisonOperator = "=" / "!="
numericComparisonOperator = "=" / "!=" / "<=" / "<" / ">=" / ">"
timeComparisonOperator = "=" / "!=" / "<=" / "<" / ">=" / ">"
stringComparisonOperator = "=" / "!="
booleanComparisonOperator = "=" / "!="
idComparisonOperator = "=" / "!="
descriptionFilterConstraint = "{{" ws [ "d" / "D" ] ws descriptionFilter *(ws "," ws descriptionFilter) ws "}}"
descriptionFilter = termFilter / languageFilter / typeFilter / dialectFilter / moduleFilter / effectiveTimeFilter / activeFilter / descriptionIdFilter
descriptionIdFilter = descriptionIdKeyword ws idComparisonOperator ws (descriptionId / descriptionIdSet)
descriptionIdKeyword = ("i"/"I") ("d"/"D")
descriptionId = sctId
descriptionIdSet = "(" ws descriptionId *(mws descriptionId) ws ")"
termFilter = termKeyword ws stringComparisonOperator ws (typedSearchTerm / typedSearchTermSet)
termKeyword = ("t"/"T") ("e"/"E") ("r"/"R") ("m"/"M")

typedSearchTerm

 

 = (

 

 [

match

 matchKeyword ws ":" ws ] matchSearchTermSet ) / ( wild ws ":" ws wildSearchTermSet )

typedSearchTermSet

 

 = "("

ws typedSearchTerm 

 ws typedSearchTerm *(

mws typedSearchTerm

mws typedSearchTerm) ws ")"

wild 

wild = ("w"/"W") ("i"/"I") ("l"/"L") ("d"/"D")

match =

matchKeyword = ("m"/"M") ("a"/"A") ("t"/"T") ("c"/"C") ("h"/"H")

matchSearchTerm

 

 =

 

 1*(nonwsNonEscapedChar / escapedChar)

matchSearchTermSet

 

 =

 QM

 QM ws matchSearchTerm *(mws matchSearchTerm) ws QM

wildSearchTerm

 

 = 1*(anyNonEscapedChar / escapedWildChar)

wildSearchTermSet

 

 = QM wildSearchTerm QM

languageFilter 

languageFilter = language ws booleanComparisonOperator ws (languageCode / languageCodeSet)

language 

language = ("l"/"L") ("a"/"A") ("n"/"N") ("g"/"G") ("u"/"U") ("a"/"A") ("g"/"G") ("e"/"E")

languageCode

 

 = 2alpha

languageCodeSet

 

 = "(" ws languageCode *(mws languageCode) ws ")"

typeFilter

 

 = typeIdFilter / typeTokenFilter

typeIdFilter

 

 = typeId ws booleanComparisonOperator ws (subExpressionConstraint / eclConceptReferenceSet)

typeId

 

 = ("t"/"T") ("y"/"Y") ("p"/"P") ("e"/"E") ("i"/"I") ("d"/"D")

typeTokenFilter

 

 = type ws booleanComparisonOperator ws (typeToken / typeTokenSet)

type

 

 =

 

 ("t"/"T") ("y"/"Y") ("p"/"P") ("e"/"E")

typeToken

 

 = synonym / fullySpecifiedName / definition

typeTokenSet

 

 = "(" ws typeToken *(mws typeToken) ws ")"

synonym

 

 = ("s"/"S") ("y"/"Y") ("n"/"N")

fullySpecifiedName

 

 = ("f"/"F") ("s"/"S") ("n"/"N")

definition

 

 = ("d"/"D") ("e"/"E") ("f"/"F")

dialectFilter 

dialectFilter = (dialectIdFilter / dialectAliasFilter)

 

 [ ws acceptabilitySet ]

dialectIdFilter

 

 = dialectId ws booleanComparisonOperator ws (subExpressionConstraint / dialectIdSet)

dialectId

 

 = ("d"/"D") ("i"/"I") ("a"/"A") ("l"/"L") ("e"/"E") ("c"/"C") ("t"/"T") ("i"/"I") ("d"/"D")

dialectAliasFilter

 

 = dialect ws booleanComparisonOperator ws (dialectAlias / dialectAliasSet)

dialect

 

 =

 

 ("d"/"D") ("i"/"I") ("a"/"A") ("l"/"L") ("e"/"E") ("c"/"C") ("t"/"T")

dialectAlias

 

 = alpha *( dash / alpha / integerValue)

dialectAliasSet

 

 = "(" ws

dialectAlias 

 dialectAlias [ws acceptabilitySet] *(mws dialectAlias [ws acceptabilitySet] ) ws ")"

dialectIdSet =

 

 "(" ws

eclConceptReference 

 eclConceptReference [ws acceptabilitySet] *(mws eclConceptReference [ws acceptabilitySet]

 

 ) ws ")"

acceptabilitySet

 

 =

 acceptabilityConceptReferenceSet

 acceptabilityConceptReferenceSet / acceptabilityTokenSet

acceptabilityConceptReferenceSet = "(" ws eclConceptReference *(mws eclConceptReference) ws ")"

acceptabilityTokenSet

 

 = "(" ws acceptabilityToken *(mws acceptabilityToken) ws ")"

acceptabilityToken

 

 = acceptable / preferred

acceptable

 

 =

 

 ("a"/"A") ("c"/"C") ("c"/"C") ("e"/"E") ("p"/"P") ("t"/"T")

preferred

 

 = ("p"/"P") ("r"/"R") ("e"/"E") ("f"/"F") ("e"/"E") ("r"/"R")

conceptFilterConstraint = "{{" ws ("c" / "C") ws

conceptFilter 

 conceptFilter *(ws "," ws conceptFilter) ws "}}"

conceptFilter 

conceptFilter = definitionStatusFilter / moduleFilter / effectiveTimeFilter / activeFilter

definitionStatusFilter 

definitionStatusFilter = definitionStatusIdFilter / definitionStatusTokenFilter

definitionStatusIdFilter =

 definitionStatusIdKeyword

 definitionStatusIdKeyword ws booleanComparisonOperator ws (subExpressionConstraint /

 eclConceptReferenceSet

 eclConceptReferenceSet)

definitionStatusIdKeyword

 

 = ("d"/"D") ("e"/"E") ("f"/"F") ("i"/"I")

 

 ("n"/"N")

 

 ("i"/"I")

 

 ("t"/"T")

 

 ("i"/"I")

 

 ("o"/"O")

 

 ("n"/"N")

 

 ("s"/"S")

 

 ("t"/"T")

 

 ("a"/"A")

 

 ("t"/"T")

 

 ("u"/"U")

 

 ("s"/"S")

 

 ("i"/"I")

 

 ("d"/"D")

definitionStatusTokenFilter =

 definitionStatusKeyword

 definitionStatusKeyword ws booleanComparisonOperator ws (definitionStatusToken /

 definitionStatusTokenSet

 definitionStatusTokenSet)

definitionStatusKeyword

 

 = ("d"/"D") ("e"/"E") ("f"/"F") ("i"/"I")

 

 ("n"/"N")

 

 ("i"/"I")

 

 ("t"/"T")

 

 ("i"/"I")

 

 ("o"/"O")

 

 ("n"/"N")

 

 ("s"/"S")

 

 ("t"/"T")

 

 ("a"/"A")

 

 ("t"/"T")

 

 ("u"/"U")

 

 ("s"/"S")

definitionStatusToken

 

 = primitiveToken / definedToken

definitionStatusTokenSet

 

 = "("

ws definitionStatusToken

 ws definitionStatusToken *(mws definitionStatusToken) ws ")"

primitiveToken =

 

 ("p"/"P")

 

 ("r"/"R")

 

 ("i"/"I")

 

 ("m"/"M")

 

 ("i"/"I")

 

 ("t"/"T")

 

 ("i"/"I")

 

 ("v"/"V")

 

 ("e"/"E")

definedToken =

 

 ("d"/"D")

 

 ("e"/"E")

 

 ("f"/"F")

 

 ("i"/"I")

 

 ("n"/"N")

 

 ("e"/"E")

 

 ("d"/"D")

moduleFilter = moduleIdKeyword ws booleanComparisonOperator ws (subExpressionConstraint / eclConceptReferenceSet)

moduleIdKeyword =

 

 ("m"/"M")

 

 ("o"/"O")

 

 ("d"/"D")

 

 ("u"/"U")

 

 ("l"/"L")

 

 ("e"/"E")

 

 ("i"/"I")

 

 ("d"/"D")

 

effectiveTimeFilter = effectiveTimeKeyword ws timeComparisonOperator ws ( timeValue / timeValueSet )

effectiveTimeKeyword =

 

 ("e"/"E")

 

 ("f"/"F")

 

 ("f"/"F")

 

 ("e"/"E")

 

 ("c"/"C")

 

 ("t"/"T")

 

 ("i"/"I")

 

 ("v"/"V")

 

 ("e"/"E")

 

 ("t"/"T")

 

 ("i"/"I")

 

 ("m"/"M")

 

 ("e"/"E")

 

timeValue =

QM 

 QM [ year month

day 

 day ] QM

timeValueSet = "(" ws timeValue *(mws timeValue) ws ")"

year = digitNonZero digit digit digit

digit 

month =

 

 "01" / "02" / "03" / "04" / "05" / "06" / "07" / "08" / "09" / "10" / "11" / "12"

day =

 

 "01" / "02" / "03" / "04" / "05" / "06" / "07" / "08" / "09" / "10" / "11" / "12" / "13" / "14" / "15" / "16" / "17" / "18" / "19" / "20" / "21" / "22" / "23" / "24" / "25" / "26" / "27" / "28" / "29" / "30" / "31"

activeFilter = activeKeyword ws booleanComparisonOperator ws activeValue

activeKeyword =

 

 ("a"/"A")

 

 ("c"/"C")

 

 ("t"/"T")

 

 ("i"/"I")

 

 ("v"/"V")

 

 ("e"/"E")

 

activeValue = activeTrueValue / activeFalseValue

activeTrueValue = "1" / "true"

activeFalseValue = "0" / "false"

memberFilterConstraint = "{{" ws ("m" / "M") ws

memberFilter 

 memberFilter *(ws "," ws memberFilter) ws "}}"

memberFilter = memberFieldFilter / moduleFilter / effectiveTimeFilter / activeFilter

memberFieldFilter = refsetFieldName ws (expressionComparisonOperator ws subExpressionConstraint / numericComparisonOperator ws "#" numericValue / stringComparisonOperator ws (typedSearchTerm / typedSearchTermSet) / booleanComparisonOperator ws booleanValue / ws timeComparisonOperator ws (timeValue / timeValueSet) )

historySupplement = "{{" ws "+" ws historyKeyword [ historyProfileSuffix / ws historySubset ] ws "}}"

historyKeyword = 

memberFilter = moduleFilter / effectiveTimeFilter / activeFilter / memberFieldFilter
memberFieldFilter = refsetFieldName ws (expressionComparisonOperator ws subExpressionConstraint / numericComparisonOperator ws "#" numericValue / stringComparisonOperator ws (typedSearchTerm / typedSearchTermSet) / booleanComparisonOperator ws booleanValue / ws timeComparisonOperator ws (timeValue / timeValueSet) )
historySupplement = "{{" ws "+" ws historyKeyword [ historyProfileSuffix / ws historySubset ] ws "}}"
historyKeyword = ("h"/"H") ("i"/"I") ("s"/"S") ("t"/"T")

 

 ("o"/"O")

 

 ("r"/"R")

 

 ("y"/"Y")

historyProfileSuffix = historyMinimumSuffix / historyModerateSuffix / historyMaximumSuffix

historyMinimumSuffix =

 

 ("-"/"_") ("m"/"M") ("i"/"I") ("n"/"N")

historyModerateSuffix = ("-"/"_") ("m"/"M") ("o"/"O") ("d"/"D")

historyMaximumSuffix =

 

 ("-"/"_") ("m"/"M") ("a"/"A") ("x"/"X")

historySubset = "(" ws expressionConstraint ws ")"

numericValue

 

 = ["-"/"+"] (decimalValue / integerValue)

stringValue

 

 = 1*(anyNonEscapedChar / escapedChar)

integerValue

 

 =

 digitNonZero

 digitNonZero *digit / zero

decimalValue

 

 =

integerValue 

 integerValue "."

 1

 1*digit

booleanValue

 

 = true / false

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

star

 

 =

%x2A 

 %x2A ; asterisk

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

escapedWildChar

 

 = BS QM / BS BS / BS star

nonwsNonEscapedChar

 

 =

 %x21

 %x21 / %x23-5B / %x5D-7E / UTF8-2 / UTF8-3 / UTF8-4

alpha

 

 = %x41-5A / %x61-7A

dash

 

 = %x2D

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