Don't Use the Obsolete ISO/IEC 14977:1996 EBNF Specification!

This essay strongly advises against using the ISO/IEC 14977:1996 EBNF specification due to its numerous flaws. The author details the specification's shortcomings, including its lack of support for Unicode characters, character ranges, and common regular expression syntax, as well as its cumbersome "one or more" notation. The author argues that the specification is difficult to understand, lacks readability, and is out of sync with modern software development practices. In contrast, the W3C's EBNF specification is presented as a more concise, user-friendly, and compatible alternative. The author also points out that blindly following ISO standards isn't always correct; choosing the most suitable tool is paramount, rather than being constrained by outdated standards.