diff --git a/src/preserves/schemaparse.nim b/src/preserves/schemaparse.nim
index 58a825a..0b2a284 100644
--- a/src/preserves/schemaparse.nim
+++ b/src/preserves/schemaparse.nim
@@ -63,13 +63,9 @@ proc match(text: string; p: var ParseState)
 
 const parser = peg("Schema", p: ParseState):
 
-  S <- *{ ' ', '\t', '\r', '\n' }
+  Schema <- S * +Clause * !1
 
-  Schema <- +Clause * S * !1
-
-  Clause <- *LineComment * S * (Version | EmbeddedTypeName | Include | Definition) * S * '.'
-
-  LineComment <-  S * '#' * @'\n'
+  Clause <- (Version | EmbeddedTypeName | Include | Definition | +LineComment) * S * '.' * S
 
   Version <- "version" * S * >(*Digit):
     if parseInt($1) != 1: fail()
@@ -86,18 +82,19 @@ const parser = peg("Schema", p: ParseState):
     match(readFile path, state)
     p.schema = move state.schema
 
-  Definition <- >id * S * '=' * S * (OrPattern | AndPattern | Pattern):
+  Definition <- ?Annotation * *LineComment * id * '=' * S * (OrPattern | AndPattern | Pattern):
     if p.schema.definitions.hasKey(Symbol $1):
-      raise newException(ValueError, "duplicate definition of " & $1)
+      raise newException(ValueError, "duplicate definition of " & $0)
     var
       node = popStack()
       def: Definition
     if not fromPreserve(def, node):
-      raise newException(ValueError, $1 & ": " & $node)
+      raise newException(ValueError, "failed to convert " & $1 & " to a Definition: " & $node)
     p.schema.definitions[Symbol $1] = def
     p.stack.setLen(0)
 
-  OrPattern <- ?('/' * S) * AltPattern * +(S * '/' * S * AltPattern):
+  OrDelim <-  *LineComment * '/' * S * *LineComment
+  OrPattern <- ?OrDelim * AltPattern * +(S * OrDelim * AltPattern):
     var node = initRecord(toSymbol("or"), toPreserve takeStackAt())
     pushStack node
 
@@ -107,11 +104,11 @@ const parser = peg("Schema", p: ParseState):
       AltRef |
       AltLiteralPattern
 
-  AltNamed <- '@' * >id * S * Pattern:
+  AltNamed <- atId * ?Annotation * Pattern:
     var n = toPreserve @[toPreserve $1] & takeStackAt()
     pushStack n
 
-  AltRecord <- '<' * >id * *(S * NamedPattern) * '>':
+  AltRecord <- '<' * id * *NamedPattern * '>':
     var n = toPreserve @[
       toPreserve $1,
       initRecord(
@@ -140,13 +137,13 @@ const parser = peg("Schema", p: ParseState):
       initRecord(toSymbol"lit", parsePreserves $1)]
     pushStack n
 
-  AndPattern <- ?('&' * S) * NamedPattern * +(S * '&' * S * NamedPattern):
+  AndPattern <- ?'&' * S * NamedPattern * +('&' * S * NamedPattern):
     var node = initRecord(toSymbol("and"), toPreserve takeStackAt())
     pushStack node
 
-  Pattern <- ?Annotation * (SimplePattern | CompoundPattern)
+  Pattern <- SimplePattern | CompoundPattern
 
-  SimplePattern <-
+  SimplePattern <- (
       AnyPattern |
       AtomKindPattern |
       EmbeddedPattern |
@@ -154,7 +151,7 @@ const parser = peg("Schema", p: ParseState):
       SequenceOfPattern |
       SetOfPattern |
       DictOfPattern |
-      Ref
+      Ref ) * S
 
   AnyPattern <- "any":
     pushStack toSymbol"any"
@@ -189,17 +186,17 @@ const parser = peg("Schema", p: ParseState):
   LiteralPattern <- ('=' * >symbol) | ("<<lit>" * >Preserves.Value * ">") | >nonSymbolAtom:
     pushStack initRecord(toSymbol"lit", parsePreserves($1))
 
-  SequenceOfPattern <- '[' * S * SimplePattern * S * "..." * S * ']':
+  SequenceOfPattern <- '[' * S * SimplePattern * "..." * S * ']':
     var n = initRecord(toSymbol"seqof", popStack())
     pushStack n
 
-  SetOfPattern <- "#{" * S * SimplePattern * S * '}':
+  SetOfPattern <- "#{" * S * SimplePattern * '}':
     var n = initRecord(toSymbol"setof", popStack())
     pushStack n
 
   DictOfPattern <-
-      '{' *
-          S * SimplePattern * S * ':' * S * SimplePattern * S * "...:..." * S *
+      '{' * S *
+          ?Annotation * SimplePattern * ':' * S * SimplePattern * "...:..." * S *
       '}':
     var
       val = popStack()
@@ -214,14 +211,15 @@ const parser = peg("Schema", p: ParseState):
     var n = initRecord(toSymbol"ref", path, name)
     pushStack n
 
-  CompoundPattern <-
+  CompoundPattern <- (
       RecordPattern |
+      VariableRecordPattern |
       TuplePattern |
       VariableTuplePattern |
-      DictionaryPattern
+      DictionaryPattern ) * S
 
   RecordPattern <-
-      ("<<rec>" * S * NamedPattern * *(S * NamedPattern) * '>') |
+      ("<<rec>" * S * NamedPattern * *NamedPattern * '>') |
       ('<' * >Value * *(S * NamedPattern) * '>'):
     if capture.len == 2:
       var n = initRecord(toSymbol"rec",
@@ -232,20 +230,30 @@ const parser = peg("Schema", p: ParseState):
       var n = initRecord(toSymbol"rec", takeStackAfter())
       pushStack n
 
+  VariableRecordPattern <- '<' * >Value * S * *(NamedPattern) * "..." * S * '>':
+    var fields = takeStackAfter()
+    var tail = fields.pop
+    tail[1] = initRecord(toSymbol"seqof", tail[1])
+    var n = initRecord(
+        toSymbol"rec",
+        toSymbolLit $1,
+        initRecord(toSymbol"tuplePrefix", toPreserve fields, tail))
+    pushStack n
+
   TuplePattern <-
-      '[' * S * *(NamedPattern * S) * ']':
+      '[' * S * *NamedPattern * ']':
     var n = initRecord(toSymbol"tuple", toPreserve takeStackAfter())
     pushStack n
 
   VariableTuplePattern <-
-      '[' * S * *(NamedPattern * S) * ?(Pattern * S) * "..." * S * ']':
+      '[' * S * *NamedPattern * ?Pattern * "..." * S * ']':
     var fields = takeStackAfter()
     var tail = fields.pop
     tail[1] = initRecord(toSymbol"seqof", tail[1])
     var node = initRecord(toSymbol"tuplePrefix", toPreserve fields, tail)
     pushStack node
 
-  DictionaryPattern <- '{' * S * *(>Value * S * ':' * S * NamedSimplePattern * ?',' * S) * '}':
+  DictionaryPattern <- '{' * *(S * >Value * S * ':' * S * NamedSimplePattern * ?',') * S * '}':
     var dict = initDictionary(void)
     for i in countDown(pred capture.len, 1):
       let key = toSymbol capture[i].s
@@ -253,19 +261,18 @@ const parser = peg("Schema", p: ParseState):
     var n = initRecord(toSymbol"dict", dict)
     pushStack n
 
-  NamedPattern <- ('@' * >id * S * SimplePattern) | Pattern:
+  NamedPattern <- ((atId * ?Annotation * SimplePattern) | Pattern):
     if capture.len == 2:
       var n = initRecord(toSymbol"named", toSymbol $1, popStack())
       pushStack n
 
-  NamedSimplePattern <- ('@' * >id * S * SimplePattern) | SimplePattern:
+  NamedSimplePattern <- ((atId * ?Annotation * SimplePattern) | SimplePattern):
     if capture.len == 2:
       var n = initRecord(toSymbol"named", toSymbol $1, popStack())
       pushStack n
 
-  id <- Alpha * *Alnum
-
-  Comment <- '#' * @'\n'
+  id <- >(Alpha * *Alnum) * S
+  atId <- ?Annotation * '@' * id
 
   symbol <- Preserves.Symbol
 
@@ -280,7 +287,11 @@ const parser = peg("Schema", p: ParseState):
   Value <- Preserves.Value:
     discard
 
-  Annotation <-  S * '@' * Value
+  Annotation <- '@' * (Preserves.String | Preserves.Record) * S
+
+  S <- *{ ' ', '\t', '\r', '\n' }
+
+  LineComment <- '#' * @'\n' * S
 
 proc match(text: string; p: var ParseState) =
   let match = parser.match(text, p)