nfa-example.vtf

# Example of the VATA format for storing or exchanging automata
#
# comments start with '#'

@NFA       # denotes the type of the automaton that will follow
           # (nondeterministic finite automaton); the @type preamble starts a
           # section that will (in this case) define one automaton; the section
           # ends either with an end-of-file, or with another @type preamble

# now, we follow with the definition of components of an automaton
%Name nfa1                        # name of the automaton (optional, can be used to refer to the automaton)
 %Alphabet a b c d                # alphabet (optional) (a whitespace before % is OK)
%Initial q1 q2                    # initial states (required); a definition spans until the end of line
%Initial q3                       # a key can be repeated, the result should be the same as if in a single line
%Initial "a state"                # when in ", names can have whitespaces (and also " if escaped with backslash '\')

%Initial "\"we're here,\" he said"# a state with the name |"we're here," he said| ('|' are not part of the name)
                                  # names cannot span multiple lines
%Final q2                         # final states (required)
q1 a q1                           # transitions occur when there is no keyword
q1 a q2                           # the format is <source> <symbol> <target> 
"q1" b "a state"                  # note that "q1" and q1 are the same
"\"we're here,\" he said" c q1
q1 () q2                          # () is used for epsilon transitions