in C++, it is simply not possible to write
      something like:
    </p>
<pre class="programlisting"><span class="identifier">a</span> <span class="identifier">b</span>
</pre>
<p>
      as seen in math syntax, for example, to mean multiplication or, in our case,
      as seen in EBNF syntax to mean sequencing (b should follow a). <span class="emphasis"><em>Spirit.Qi</em></span>
      uses the shift <code class="computeroutput"><span class="special">&gt;&gt;</span></code> operator
      instead for this pur