: | A colon links command keywords together to form commands. The colon is not an actual part of the keyword, but is a signal to the SCPI interface parser. A colon must precede a root keyword immediately following a semicolon (see Notational Examples). |
; | A semicolon separates commands if multiple commands are placed on a single program line. |
[ ] | Square brackets enclose one or more optional keywords. |
{ } | Braces enclose one or more keyword or command parameters that may be included one or more times. |
| | A vertical bar indicates “or” and is used to separate alternative parameter options. Example: ON | OFF is the same as ON or OFF. |
< > | Angle brackets enclose parameter descriptions. |
::= | Means “is defined as” For example: <a>::=<b><c> indicates that <b><c> can replace <a>. |
sp | Space, referred to as white space, must be used to separate keywords from their associated data parameters. It must not be used between keywords or inside keywords. |
XXX | Indicates a root command name |