since ':' is already in use, I'd propose '=' as the generic comparison, and ',' as generic separator.

so to fully genericise

<Ticket>;+status:open;+tag->wql

would be:

(type=Ticket,exists=(name=_this+status,content=open),exists=(name=_this+tag,refer_to=(name=wql)))

  --Lewis Hoffman.....Wed Feb 03 14:16:34 -0800 2010

dammit!! ';' used to be '&', I changed it partly because it intuitively suggests the low precedence, but also because I wanted something url friendly. I forgot that BOTH '&' and ';' are used a param separators in URLs. and of course plus doesn't work right.

I'd love to be able to jam this syntax in urls without a bunch of %0D crap, but that is going to be a real challenge.

  --Lewis Hoffman.....Wed Feb 03 14:25:35 -0800 2010

we almost never use the 1 arg "plus"; the 2 arg plus is one of the most common things we use. How would you represent that?

  --Ethan McCutchen.....Wed Feb 03 16:05:18 -0800 2010