\doc{Symbols}
\ref{symbols}
\ref{identifiers}
\ref{simpleId}
\ref{number}
\ref{opId}
\ref{whitespace}
\ref{punctuation}
\ref{markers}
\ref{string}
\ref{blank-free-string}

LP divides its input into a sequence of \def{symbols} (also known as
\def{tokens}) of the following kinds.

\head{2}{Simple identifiers}

A \sd{simpleId} is a string of letters, digits, apostrophes, and underscores.
Exceptions: a \s{simpleId} cannot consist of an underscore or an apostrophe
alone, and it cannot contain two adjacent underscores.  Examples: \f{Nat},
\f{10}, \f{x'}, \f{a_1}.  
\p
A \sd{number} is a \s{simpleId} consisting entirely of digits.  See also
\dlink{keyword}{keyword}.

\head{2}{Operator identifiers}

An \sd{opId} is a string of \def{operator characters}, that is, characters
chosen from among \qf{!#$&*+-./<=>?@^|~}, or it is the special symbol \qf{/\}.
Exception: The symbol \f{->} is not an \s{opId}.  Examples: \f{+}, \f{~=},
\f{<=>}.

\head{2}{Escaped identifiers}

An \sd{escapedId} consists of the \def{escape character} \qf{\} alone or the
escape character followed by a simple identifier, an operator character, an
underscore, another escape character, or a punctuation mark.  Examples:
\f{\in}, \f{\-}, \f{\_}, \f{\\}, \f{\(}.

\head{2}{Punctuation marks}

Each of the characters in \qf#:,;()[]{}%# is a separate token, unless it is
immediately preceded by the escape character.  The \def{marker} symbol \qf{__}
is also treated as a punctuation mark.

\anchor{whitespace}
\head{2}{Whitespace}

A space, tab, or newline terminates the preceding token and is otherwise
ignored.  Likewise, all characters from an unescaped percent sign through the
following newline are treated as whitespace.  See the \cflink{comment} command.

\head{2}{Illegal characters}

The characters \qf{"} and \qf{`}, as well as all control characters other than
whitespace, are reserved for future use.  They should not appear in LP scripts
except within comments.

\head{2}{Strings}

In certain contexts, LP reads its input without dividing it into tokens.  A
\sd{string} is an arbitrary sequence of characters other than newlines.  A
\sd{blank-free-string} is a \s{string} that does not contain any whitespace.