diff --git a/examples/SConscript b/examples/SConscript
index 0932bdacbbf51f4f2faaa73484313abd0eab9ad0..069472164a8255595db0c2d8f9e951ba5fdfe6d3 100644
--- a/examples/SConscript
+++ b/examples/SConscript
@@ -7,4 +7,5 @@ dns = example.Program('dns', ['dns.c', 'rr.c', 'dns_common.c'])
 base64 = example.Program('base64', 'base64.c')
 base64_sem1 = example.Program('base64_sem1', 'base64_sem1.c')
 base64_sem2 = example.Program('base64_sem2', 'base64_sem2.c')
-env.Alias("examples", [dns, base64, base64_sem1, base64_sem2])
\ No newline at end of file
+ties = example.Program('ties', ['ties.c', 'grammar.c'])
+env.Alias("examples", [dns, base64, base64_sem1, base64_sem2, ties])
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/grammar.c b/examples/grammar.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..7638fe99558149d9e2d47e5d1dc7f0299da189c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/grammar.c
@@ -0,0 +1,179 @@
+// Generates a system of equations for generating functions from a grammar.
+//
+// (c) 2015 Mikael Vejdemo-Johansson <mikael@johanssons.org>
+//
+
+// If a desugared parser has user_data set, the generating function systems will try
+// to interpret it as a string:
+//
+// If this string for an h_ch starts with the character 0, then that character
+// will have weight 0 in the generating function.
+//
+// Use the remaining string to set the preferred name of that parser in the
+// generating function.
+//
+
+#include <inttypes.h>
+#include "../src/backends/contextfree.h"
+#include "../src/backends/lr.h"
+#include "grammar.h"
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+const char *nonterminal_name(const HCFGrammar *g, const HCFChoice *nt) {
+  // if user_data exists and is printable:
+  if(nt->user_data != NULL && *(char*)(nt->user_data) > ' ' && *(char*)(nt->user_data) < 127) {
+    if(*(char*)(nt->user_data) != '0') {
+      // user_data is a non-empty string
+      return nt->user_data;
+    } else {
+      return nt->user_data+1;
+    }
+  }
+  
+  static char buf[16] = {0}; // 14 characters in base 26 are enough for 64 bits
+
+  // find nt's number in g
+  size_t n = (uintptr_t)h_hashtable_get(g->nts, nt);
+
+  // NB the start symbol (number 0) is always "A".
+  int i;
+  for(i=14; i>=0 && (n>0 || i==14); i--) {
+    buf[i] = 'A' + n%26;
+    n = n/26;   // shift one digit
+  }
+
+  return buf+i+1;
+}
+
+
+
+void readsequence(FILE *file, uint32_t *count, uint32_t *length,
+		  const HCFGrammar *g, const HCFSequence *seq) {
+  // tally up numbers of choices, and lengths of emitted strings.
+  // Immediately emit any nonterminals encountered.
+  HCFChoice** x = seq->items;
+  
+  fprintf(file, "1");
+  if (*x == NULL) {
+    // empty sequence
+    // GF is 1
+    return;
+  } else {
+    char has_user_data = (*x)->user_data != NULL && *(char*)(*x)->user_data != 0;
+    HCharset cs;
+    unsigned int i, cscount=0;
+    for(; *x; x++) {
+      switch((*x)->type) {
+      case HCF_CHAR:
+	if(!(has_user_data && *(char*)(*x)->user_data == '0')) {
+	  (*length)++;
+	}
+	break;
+      case HCF_END:
+	break;
+      case HCF_CHARSET:
+	cs = (*x)->charset;
+	for(i=0; i<256; i++) {
+	  if (charset_isset(cs, i)) {
+	    cscount++;
+	  }
+	}
+	*count *= cscount;
+	break;
+      default: // HCF_CHOICE, non-terminal symbol
+	fprintf(file, "*%s", nonterminal_name(g, *x));
+	break;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+// For each nt in g->nts
+//     For each choice in nt->key->seq
+//          For all elements in sequence
+//              Accumulate counts 
+//              Accumulate string lengths
+//              Emit count*t^length
+void h_pprint_gfeqns(FILE *file, const HCFGrammar *g) {
+  if (g->nts->used < 1) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  // determine maximum string length of symbol names
+  int len;
+  size_t s;
+  for(len=1, s=26; s < g->nts->used; len++, s*=26);
+
+  // emit the SageMath ring init string
+  // iterate over g->nts, output symbols
+  size_t i;
+  HHashTableEntry *hte;  
+  fprintf(file, "ring.<t");
+  for(i=0; i < g->nts->capacity; i++) {
+    for(hte = &g->nts->contents[i]; hte; hte = hte->next) {
+      if (hte->key == NULL) {
+        continue;
+      }
+      const HCFChoice *nt = hte->key;
+      fprintf(file, ",");
+      
+      fprintf(file, "%s", nonterminal_name(g, nt));
+    }
+  }
+  fprintf(file, "> = QQ[]\n");
+      
+  
+  // iterate over g->nts
+  // emit a Sage ideal definition
+  int j=0;
+  fprintf(file, "ID = ring.ideal(");
+  for(i=0; i < g->nts->capacity; i++) {
+    for(hte = &g->nts->contents[i]; hte; hte = hte->next) {
+      if (hte->key == NULL) {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      if(j>0) {
+	fprintf(file, ",");
+      }
+      j++;
+      
+      const HCFChoice *nt = hte->key;
+      const char *ntn = nonterminal_name(g, nt);
+      if(*ntn == 0) {
+	continue;
+      }
+      fprintf(file, "%s - (", ntn);
+
+      
+      for(HCFSequence **seq = nt->seq; *seq; seq++) {
+	if (seq != nt->seq) {
+	  fprintf(file, " + ");
+	}
+	uint32_t count=1, length=0;
+	readsequence(file, &count, &length, g, *seq);
+	if(count == 1) {
+	  if(length == 1) {
+	    fprintf(file, "*t");
+	  }
+	  if(length > 1) {
+	    fprintf(file, "*t^%d", length);
+	  }
+	} else if(count > 1) {
+	  if(length == 0) {
+	    fprintf(file, "*%d", count);
+	  }
+	  if(length == 1) {
+	    fprintf(file, "*%d*t", count);
+	  }
+	  if (length > 1) {
+	    fprintf(file, "*%d*t^%d", count, length);
+	  } 
+	}
+      }
+
+      fprintf(file, ")");
+    }
+  }
+  fprintf(file, ")\n");
+}
diff --git a/examples/grammar.h b/examples/grammar.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..b42eced49b4b958a08610aee09e4498a3cc4da05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/grammar.h
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+// Generates a system of equations for generating functions from a grammar.
+//
+// (c) 2015 Mikael Vejdemo-Johansson <mikael@johanssons.org>
+//
+
+// Currently does absolutely no elegance, no caching of information, but rather
+// just prints the generating functions to a provided FILE*.
+//
+
+
+// If a desugared parser has user_data set, the generating function systems will try
+// to interpret it as a string:
+//
+// If this string for an h_ch starts with the character 0, then that character
+// will have weight 0 in the generating function.
+//
+// Use the remaining string to set the preferred name of that parser in the
+// generating function.
+//
+
+#ifndef HAMMER_GRAMMAR__H
+#define HAMMER_GRAMMAR__H
+
+#include "../src/backends/contextfree.h"
+#include "../src/backends/lr.h"
+
+
+// Filched from cfgrammar.c this function extracts the name from user_data if it
+// is set; otherwise assigns a name automatically from its position in some
+// ordering of non-terminals.
+const char *nonterminal_name(const HCFGrammar *g, const HCFChoice *nt);
+
+// This function prints out the monomial generated by a single HCFSequence
+// It returns the resulting exponent for t in length and the number of alternatives
+// accumulated in length. The monomial is (mostly) printed out to the provided FILE*,
+// the caller is responsible for adding a scalar and a power of t to the printout.
+void readsequence(FILE *file, uint32_t *count, uint32_t *length,
+		  const HCFGrammar *g, const HCFSequence *seq);
+
+// This function walks through a grammar and generates an equation for each
+// production rule. The results are printed out to the provided FILE*.
+void h_pprint_gfeqns(FILE *file, const HCFGrammar *g);
+
+
+
+#endif
diff --git a/examples/ties.c b/examples/ties.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..77d0821212e6d5a6145ee9184cfb26b02be3d786
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/ties.c
@@ -0,0 +1,309 @@
+// Intention: read in a parser, generate the system of equations for its
+// generating functions
+//
+
+#include <inttypes.h>
+#include "../src/backends/contextfree.h"
+#include "../src/backends/lr.h"
+#include "grammar.h"
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+
+HAllocator *mm__;
+
+HParser* cfExample() {
+  HParser *n = h_ch('n');
+  HParser *E = h_indirect();
+  HParser *T = h_choice(h_sequence(h_ch('('), E, h_ch(')'), NULL), n, NULL);
+  HParser *E_ = h_choice(h_sequence(E, h_ch('-'), T, NULL), T, NULL);
+  h_bind_indirect(E, E_);
+  return E;
+}
+
+// The tie knot parsers below would work better if we could patch the gen.function
+// code above to allow user specification of non-default byte string "lengths",
+// so that U symbols don't contribute with factors of t to the gen. function.
+//
+// Alternatively: use multivariate generating functions to spit out different
+// variables for different terminals. This gets really messy with bigger alphabets.
+
+HParser* finkmao() {
+  HParser *L = h_ch('L');
+  HParser *R = h_ch('R');
+  HParser *C = h_ch('C');
+  HParser *U = h_ch('U');
+  HParser *Lnext = h_indirect();
+  HParser *Rnext = h_indirect();
+  HParser *Cnext = h_indirect();
+  HParser *L_ = h_choice(h_sequence(R, Rnext, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(C, Cnext, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(R, C, U, NULL), NULL);
+  HParser *R_ = h_choice(h_sequence(L, Lnext, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(C, Cnext, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(L, C, U, NULL), NULL);
+  HParser *C_ = h_choice(h_sequence(R, Rnext, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(L, Lnext, NULL), NULL);
+  h_bind_indirect(Lnext, L_);
+  h_bind_indirect(Rnext, R_);
+  h_bind_indirect(Cnext, C_);
+  HParser *tie = h_sequence(L, Lnext, NULL);
+
+  h_desugar_augmented(mm__, tie);
+
+  L->desugared->user_data = "L";
+  R->desugared->user_data = "R";
+  C->desugared->user_data = "C";
+  Lnext->desugared->user_data = "Ln";
+  Rnext->desugared->user_data = "Rn";
+  Cnext->desugared->user_data = "Cn";
+  tie->desugared->user_data = "tie";
+  U->desugared->user_data = "0U";
+  
+  return tie;
+}
+
+HParser* finkmaoTW() {
+  HParser *T = h_ch('T');
+  HParser *W = h_ch('W');
+  HParser *U = h_ch('U');
+  HParser *prefix = h_choice(T, W, h_epsilon_p(),
+			     NULL);
+  HParser *pair = h_choice(h_sequence(T, T, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, T, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(T, W, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, W, NULL), NULL);
+  HParser *tuck = h_choice(h_sequence(T, T, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, W, U, NULL),
+			   NULL);
+  HParser *pairstar = h_indirect();
+  HParser *pstar_ = h_choice(h_sequence(pair, pairstar, NULL),
+			     h_epsilon_p(),
+			      NULL);
+  h_bind_indirect(pairstar, pstar_);
+
+  HParser* tie = h_sequence(prefix, pairstar, tuck, NULL);
+  h_desugar_augmented(mm__, tie);
+
+  
+  T->desugared->user_data = "T";
+  W->desugared->user_data = "W";
+  U->desugared->user_data = "0U";
+  prefix->desugared->user_data = "prefix";
+  pair->desugared->user_data = "pair";
+  tuck->desugared->user_data = "tuck";
+  pstar_->desugared->user_data = "pairstar";
+  tie->desugared->user_data = "tie";
+  
+  return tie;
+}
+
+HParser* depth1TW() {
+  HParser *T = h_ch('T');
+  HParser *W = h_ch('W');
+  HParser *U = h_ch('U');
+  HParser *prefix = h_choice(T, W, h_epsilon_p(), NULL);
+  HParser *pair = h_choice(h_sequence(T, T, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, T, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(T, W, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, W, NULL), NULL);
+  HParser *tuck = h_choice(h_sequence(T, T, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, W, U, NULL),
+			   NULL);
+  HParser *tuckpairstar = h_indirect();
+  HParser *tpstar_ = h_choice(h_sequence(pair, tuckpairstar, NULL),
+			      h_sequence(tuck, tuckpairstar, NULL),
+			      h_epsilon_p(),
+			      NULL);
+  h_bind_indirect(tuckpairstar, tpstar_);
+  HParser *tie = h_choice(h_sequence(prefix, tuckpairstar, tuck, NULL), NULL);
+
+  h_desugar_augmented(mm__, tie);
+  
+  T->desugared->user_data = "T";
+  W->desugared->user_data = "W";
+  U->desugared->user_data = "0U";
+  prefix->desugared->user_data = "prefix";
+  pair->desugared->user_data = "pair";
+  tuck->desugared->user_data = "tuck";
+  tpstar_->desugared->user_data = "tuckpairstar";
+  tie->desugared->user_data = "tie";
+
+  return tie;
+}
+
+HParser* depth1() {
+  HParser *L = h_ch('L');
+  HParser *R = h_ch('R');
+  HParser *C = h_ch('C');
+  HParser *U = h_ch('U');
+  HParser *lastR = h_indirect();
+  HParser *lastL = h_indirect();
+  HParser *lastC = h_indirect();
+  HParser *R_ = h_choice(h_sequence(L, R, lastR, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(C, R, lastR, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(L, C, lastC, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(L, C, U, lastC, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(L, C, U, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(C, L, lastL, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(C, L, U, lastL, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(C, L, U, NULL),
+			 NULL);
+  HParser *L_ = h_choice(h_sequence(R, L, lastR, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(C, L, lastR, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(R, C, lastC, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(R, C, U, lastC, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(R, C, U, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(C, R, lastR, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(C, R, U, lastR, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(C, R, U, NULL),
+			 NULL);
+  HParser *C_ = h_choice(h_sequence(L, C, lastR, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(R, C, lastR, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(L, R, lastR, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(L, R, U, lastR, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(L, R, U, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(R, L, lastL, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(R, L, U, lastL, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(R, L, U, NULL),
+			 NULL);
+  h_bind_indirect(lastR, R_);
+  h_bind_indirect(lastL, L_);
+  h_bind_indirect(lastC, C_);
+  HParser* tie = h_choice(h_sequence(L, lastL, NULL),
+		  h_sequence(R, lastR, NULL),
+		  h_sequence(C, lastC, NULL),
+		  NULL);
+
+  h_desugar_augmented(mm__, tie);
+
+  L->desugared->user_data = "L";
+  R->desugared->user_data = "R";
+  C->desugared->user_data = "C";
+  U->desugared->user_data = "0U";
+  lastL ->desugared->user_data = "Ln";
+  lastR->desugared->user_data = "Rn";
+  lastC->desugared->user_data = "Cn";
+  tie->desugared->user_data = "tie";
+
+  return tie;
+}
+
+HParser* depthNTW() {
+  HParser *T = h_ch('T');
+  HParser *W = h_ch('W');
+  HParser *U = h_ch('U');
+  HParser *prefix = h_choice(T, W, h_epsilon_p(), NULL);
+  HParser *pair = h_choice(h_sequence(T, T, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, T, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(T, W, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, W, NULL), NULL);
+  HParser *tstart = h_indirect();
+  HParser *tw0 = h_indirect();
+  HParser *tw1 = h_indirect();
+  HParser *tw2 = h_indirect();
+  HParser *wstart = h_indirect();
+  HParser *wt0 = h_indirect();
+  HParser *wt1 = h_indirect();
+  HParser *wt2 = h_indirect();
+  
+  HParser *T_ = h_choice(h_sequence(T, T, tw2, U, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(T, W, tw0, U, NULL),
+			 NULL);
+  HParser *tw0_ = h_choice(h_sequence(T, T, tw2, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(T, W, tw0, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, T, tw0, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, W, tw1, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(tstart, tw2, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(wstart, tw1, U, NULL),
+			   NULL);
+  HParser *tw1_ = h_choice(h_sequence(T, T, tw0, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(T, W, tw1, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, T, tw1, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, W, tw2, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(tstart, tw0, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(wstart, tw2, U, NULL),
+			   NULL);
+  HParser *tw2_ = h_choice(h_sequence(T, T, tw1, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(T, W, tw2, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, T, tw2, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, W, tw0, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(tstart, tw1, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(wstart, tw0, U, NULL),
+			   h_epsilon_p(),
+			   NULL);
+  
+  HParser *W_ = h_choice(h_sequence(W, W, wt2, U, NULL),
+			 h_sequence(W, T, wt0, U, NULL),
+			 NULL);
+  HParser *wt0_ = h_choice(h_sequence(W, W, wt2, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, T, wt0, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(T, W, wt0, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(T, T, wt1, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(wstart, wt2, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(tstart, wt1, U, NULL),
+			   NULL);
+  HParser *wt1_ = h_choice(h_sequence(W, W, wt0, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, T, wt1, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(T, W, wt1, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(T, T, wt2, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(wstart, wt0, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(tstart, wt2, U, NULL),
+			   NULL);
+  HParser *wt2_ = h_choice(h_sequence(W, W, wt1, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(W, T, wt2, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(T, W, wt2, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(T, T, wt0, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(wstart, wt1, U, NULL),
+			   h_sequence(tstart, wt0, U, NULL),
+			   h_epsilon_p(),
+			   NULL);
+
+  h_bind_indirect(tstart, T_);
+  h_bind_indirect(tw0, tw0_);
+  h_bind_indirect(tw1, tw1_);
+  h_bind_indirect(tw2, tw2_);
+  h_bind_indirect(wstart, W_);
+  h_bind_indirect(wt0, wt0_);
+  h_bind_indirect(wt1, wt1_);
+  h_bind_indirect(wt2, wt2_);
+  HParser *tuck = h_choice(tstart, wstart, NULL);
+
+  HParser *tuckpairstar = h_indirect();
+  HParser *tpstar_ = h_choice(h_sequence(pair, tuckpairstar, NULL),
+			      h_sequence(tuck, tuckpairstar, NULL),
+			      h_epsilon_p(),
+			      NULL);
+  h_bind_indirect(tuckpairstar, tpstar_);
+			      
+  HParser *tie = h_choice(h_sequence(prefix, tuckpairstar, tuck, NULL), NULL);
+
+  h_desugar_augmented(mm__, tie);
+
+  T->desugared->user_data = "T";
+  W->desugared->user_data = "W";
+  U->desugared->user_data = "0U";
+  prefix->desugared->user_data = "prefix";
+  pair->desugared->user_data = "pair";
+  tuck->desugared->user_data = "tuck";
+  tpstar_->desugared->user_data = "tuckpairstar";
+  tie->desugared->user_data = "tie";
+
+  return tie;
+}
+
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv) {
+  mm__ = &system_allocator;
+
+  HParser *p = finkmao();
+  HCFGrammar *g = h_cfgrammar_(mm__, h_desugar_augmented(mm__, p));
+  if (g == NULL) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "h_cfgrammar failed\n");
+    return 1;
+  }
+  printf("\n==== Generating functions ====\n");
+  h_pprint_gfeqns(stdout, g);
+
+  printf("\n==== Grammar ====\n");
+  h_pprint_grammar(stdout, g, 0);
+}