diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext.util/src/org/eclipse/xtext/util/formallang/NfaUtil.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext.util/src/org/eclipse/xtext/util/formallang/NfaUtil.java
index 910e44daf..5b556649c 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext.util/src/org/eclipse/xtext/util/formallang/NfaUtil.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext.util/src/org/eclipse/xtext/util/formallang/NfaUtil.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.Stack;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Function;
+import com.google.common.base.Functions;
 import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
 import com.google.common.base.Predicates;
 import com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
@@ -51,6 +52,26 @@ public class NfaUtil {
 			this.result = result;
 			this.followers = followers.iterator();
 		}
+
+		@Override
+		public String toString() {
+			return result == null ? "null" : result.toString();
+		}
+	}
+
+	protected static class GetToken<E, T> implements Function<E, T> {
+
+		protected Production<E, T> production;
+
+		public GetToken(Production<E, T> production) {
+			super();
+			this.production = production;
+		}
+
+		public T apply(E from) {
+			return production.getToken(from);
+		}
+
 	}
 
 	public static class MappedComparator<S, COMPARABLE extends Comparable<COMPARABLE>> implements Comparator<S> {
@@ -71,6 +92,21 @@ public class NfaUtil {
 		}
 	}
 
+	public static class NFAFactory<S> implements NfaFactory<Nfa<S>, S, S> {
+
+		public Nfa<S> create(S start, S stop) {
+			return new NFAImpl<S>(start, stop, Maps.<S, List<S>> newHashMap());
+		}
+
+		public S createState(Nfa<S> nfa, S token) {
+			return token;
+		}
+
+		public void setFollowers(Nfa<S> nfa, S owner, Iterable<S> followers) {
+			((NFAImpl<S>) nfa).followers.put(owner, Lists.newArrayList(followers));
+		}
+	}
+
 	public static class NFAImpl<S> implements Nfa<S> {
 
 		protected final Map<S, List<S>> followers;
@@ -209,25 +245,35 @@ public class NfaUtil {
 		return result;
 	}
 
+	public <E, T> Nfa<E> create(Production<E, T> production, FollowerFunction<E> ff, E start, E stop) {
+		return create(production, ff, Functions.<E> identity(), new NFAFactory<E>(), start, stop);
+	}
+
 	public <S, E, T, NFA extends Nfa<S>> NFA create(Production<E, T> production, FollowerFunction<E> ff,
 			NfaFactory<NFA, S, ? super T> factory) {
+		return create(production, ff, new GetToken<E, T>(production), factory, null, null);
+	}
+
+	public <S, E, T1, T2, NFA extends Nfa<S>> NFA create(Production<E, T1> production, FollowerFunction<E> ff,
+			Function<E, T2> tokenFunc, NfaFactory<NFA, S, ? super T2> factory, T2 start, T2 stop) {
 		Map<E, S> states = Maps.newHashMap();
-		NFA nfa = factory.create(null, null);
+		NFA nfa = factory.create(start, stop);
 		states.put(null, nfa.getStop());
-		create(production, nfa, nfa.getStart(), ff.getStarts(production.getRoot()), ff, factory, states);
+		create(production, nfa, nfa.getStart(), ff.getStarts(production.getRoot()), ff, tokenFunc, factory, states);
 		return nfa;
 	}
 
-	protected <S, E, T, NFA extends Nfa<S>> void create(Production<E, T> production, NFA nfa, S state,
-			Iterable<E> followerElements, FollowerFunction<E> followerFunc, NfaFactory<NFA, S, ? super T> factory,
-			Map<E, S> ele2state) {
+	protected <S, E, T1, T2, NFA extends Nfa<S>> void create(Production<E, T1> production, NFA nfa, S state,
+			Iterable<E> followerElements, FollowerFunction<E> followerFunc, Function<E, T2> tokenFunc,
+			NfaFactory<NFA, S, ? super T2> factory, Map<E, S> ele2state) {
 		List<S> sfollower = Lists.newArrayList();
 		for (E follower : followerElements) {
 			S fs = ele2state.get(follower);
 			if (fs == null) {
-				fs = factory.createState(nfa, production.getToken(follower));
+				fs = factory.createState(nfa, tokenFunc.apply(follower));
 				ele2state.put(follower, fs);
-				create(production, nfa, fs, followerFunc.getFollowers(follower), followerFunc, factory, ele2state);
+				create(production, nfa, fs, followerFunc.getFollowers(follower), followerFunc, tokenFunc, factory,
+						ele2state);
 			}
 			sfollower.add(fs);
 		}
@@ -249,16 +295,6 @@ public class NfaUtil {
 		});
 	}
 
-	public <S> void removeOrphans(Nfa<S> nfa) {
-		Map<S, Integer> distances = distanceToFinalStateMap(nfa);
-		for (S s : collect(nfa)) {
-			Iterator<S> i = nfa.getFollowers(s).iterator();
-			while (i.hasNext())
-				if (!distances.containsKey(i.next()))
-					i.remove();
-		}
-	}
-
 	public <S> Map<S, Integer> distanceToStateMap(Nfa<S> nfa, Predicate<S> matches) {
 		return distanceFromStateMap(inverse(nfa), matches);
 	}
@@ -323,6 +359,13 @@ public class NfaUtil {
 		};
 	}
 
+	public <S> Set<S> filterFollowers(Nfa<S> nfa, Iterable<S> followers, Predicate<S> filter) {
+		Set<S> result = Sets.newHashSet();
+		for (S follower : followers)
+			collectFollowers(nfa, follower, result, Sets.<S> newHashSet(), filter);
+		return result;
+	}
+
 	//	protected <S> void collectFinalStates(INfaAdapter<S> nfa, S owner, S last, Set<S> result,
 	//			Set<S> visited, Set<S> ends, Predicate<S> filter) {
 	//		if (!visited.add(owner))
@@ -335,13 +378,6 @@ public class NfaUtil {
 	//			collectFinalStates(nfa, follower, last, result, visited, ends, filter);
 	//	}
 
-	public <S> Set<S> filterFollowers(Nfa<S> nfa, Iterable<S> followers, Predicate<S> filter) {
-		Set<S> result = Sets.newHashSet();
-		for (S follower : followers)
-			collectFollowers(nfa, follower, result, Sets.<S> newHashSet(), filter);
-		return result;
-	}
-
 	public <S, ITERABLE extends Iterable<? extends S>> S find(Nfa<S> nfa, Iterable<S> starts, Predicate<S> matcher) {
 		Set<S> visited = Sets.newHashSet();
 		for (S s : starts) {
@@ -352,6 +388,11 @@ public class NfaUtil {
 		return null;
 	}
 
+	public <S> S find(Nfa<S> nfa, Predicate<S> matcher) {
+		Set<S> visited = Sets.newHashSet();
+		return find(nfa, nfa.getStart(), matcher, visited);
+	}
+
 	//	public <S, TOKEN> ITokenNfaAdapter<S, TOKEN> filter(final ITokenNfaAdapter<S, TOKEN> nfa, final Predicate<S> filter) {
 	//		return new ITokenNfaAdapter<S, TOKEN>() {
 	//
@@ -384,11 +425,6 @@ public class NfaUtil {
 	//		return result;
 	//	}
 
-	public <S> S find(Nfa<S> nfa, Predicate<S> matcher) {
-		Set<S> visited = Sets.newHashSet();
-		return find(nfa, nfa.getStart(), matcher, visited);
-	}
-
 	protected <S, ITERABLE extends Iterable<? extends S>> S find(Nfa<S> nfa, S state, Predicate<S> matcher,
 			Set<S> visited) {
 		if (!visited.add(state))
@@ -430,6 +466,16 @@ public class NfaUtil {
 		return new NFAImpl<S>(nfa.getStop(), nfa.getStart(), inverseMap);
 	}
 
+	public <S> void removeOrphans(Nfa<S> nfa) {
+		Map<S, Integer> distances = distanceToFinalStateMap(nfa);
+		for (S s : collect(nfa)) {
+			Iterator<S> i = nfa.getFollowers(s).iterator();
+			while (i.hasNext())
+				if (!distances.containsKey(i.next()))
+					i.remove();
+		}
+	}
+
 	public <S extends Comparable<S>> Nfa<S> sort(Nfa<S> nfa) {
 		Map<S, List<S>> followerMap = Maps.newHashMap();
 		for (S state : new NfaUtil().collect(nfa)) {
diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext.util/src/org/eclipse/xtext/util/formallang/StringProduction.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext.util/src/org/eclipse/xtext/util/formallang/StringProduction.java
index f489c2d39..3157f8840 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext.util/src/org/eclipse/xtext/util/formallang/StringProduction.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext.util/src/org/eclipse/xtext/util/formallang/StringProduction.java
@@ -40,13 +40,17 @@ public class StringProduction implements Production<ProdElement, String> {
 
 		protected String value;
 
-		protected ProdElement(ElementType type) {
+		public ProdElement(ElementType type) {
 			super();
 			this.type = type;
 			if (type != ElementType.TOKEN)
 				this.children = Lists.newArrayList();
 		}
 
+		public void setValue(String value) {
+			this.value = value;
+		}
+
 		protected void addChild(ProdElement ele) {
 			children.add(ele);
 			ele.parent = this;
@@ -56,6 +60,18 @@ public class StringProduction implements Production<ProdElement, String> {
 			return children;
 		}
 
+		public void setMany(boolean many) {
+			this.many = many;
+		}
+
+		public void setName(String name) {
+			this.name = name;
+		}
+
+		public void setOptional(boolean optional) {
+			this.optional = optional;
+		}
+
 		public String getName() {
 			return name;
 		}
@@ -67,6 +83,7 @@ public class StringProduction implements Production<ProdElement, String> {
 		public ElementType getType() {
 			return type;
 		}
+
 		public String getValue() {
 			return value;
 		}
@@ -92,6 +109,7 @@ public class StringProduction implements Production<ProdElement, String> {
 	protected enum Token {
 		AND("&"), // 
 		COLON(":"), //
+		EQ("="), //
 		ID("[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9]*"), //
 		PIPE("\\|"), //
 		PL("\\("), //