diff --git a/implementations/javascript/packages/schema/src/compiler.ts b/implementations/javascript/packages/schema/src/compiler.ts
index b1236a2..847ceca 100644
--- a/implementations/javascript/packages/schema/src/compiler.ts
+++ b/implementations/javascript/packages/schema/src/compiler.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class ModuleContext {
         return varname;
     }
 
-    derefPattern([_name, p]: [symbol, Alternative]): Definition {
+    derefPattern([_name, p]: [string, Alternative]): Definition {
         if (p.label === M.$ref) {
             return lookup(refPosition(p), p, this.env,
                           (p) => p,
diff --git a/implementations/javascript/packages/schema/src/gen/schema.ts b/implementations/javascript/packages/schema/src/gen/schema.ts
index 046d378..681deb8 100644
--- a/implementations/javascript/packages/schema/src/gen/schema.ts
+++ b/implementations/javascript/packages/schema/src/gen/schema.ts
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ export type Definitions = _.KeyedDictionary<symbol, Definition, _ptr>;
 
 export type Definition = (_.Record<(typeof $or), [Array<NamedAlternative>], _ptr> | Alternative);
 
-export type NamedAlternative = [symbol, Alternative];
+export type NamedAlternative = [string, Alternative];
 
 export type Alternative = (_.Record<(typeof $and), [Array<NamedPattern>], _ptr> | Pattern);
 
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ export function isNamedAlternative(v: any): v is NamedAlternative {
         _.Array.isArray(v) &&
         !_.Record.isRecord<_val, _.Tuple<_val>, _ptr>(v) &&
         (v.length === 2) &&
-        typeof v[0] === 'symbol' &&
+        typeof v[0] === 'string' &&
         isAlternative(v[1])
     );
 }
@@ -317,10 +317,10 @@ export function decodeNamedAlternative(d: _.TypedDecoder<_ptr>): NamedAlternativ
     let _tmp0, _tmp1: any;
     let result;
     if (d.openSequence()) {
-        _tmp0 = d.nextSymbol();
+        _tmp0 = d.nextString();
         if (_tmp0 !== void 0) {
             _tmp1 = decodeAlternative(d);
-            if (_tmp1 !== void 0) {if (d.closeCompound()) result = [_tmp0, _tmp1] as [symbol, Alternative];};
+            if (_tmp1 !== void 0) {if (d.closeCompound()) result = [_tmp0, _tmp1] as [string, Alternative];};
         };
     };
     return result;
diff --git a/implementations/javascript/packages/schema/src/reader.ts b/implementations/javascript/packages/schema/src/reader.ts
index 369419b..3f30d5a 100644
--- a/implementations/javascript/packages/schema/src/reader.ts
+++ b/implementations/javascript/packages/schema/src/reader.ts
@@ -125,22 +125,28 @@ export function parseSchema(toplevelTokens: Array<Input>,
 function parseDefinition(name: symbol, body: Array<Input>): Definition {
     let nextAnonymousAlternativeNumber = 0;
     function alternativeName([input, p]: readonly [Array<Input>, Alternative])
-    : [symbol, Alternative]
+    : [string, Alternative]
     {
         const n = findName(input) || findName(input[0]);
         if (n !== false) {
-            return [n, p];
+            return [n.description!, p];
         }
         if (p.label === M.$rec && p[0].label === M.$lit && typeof p[0][0] === 'symbol') {
-            return [p[0][0], p];
+            return [p[0][0].description!, p];
         }
         if (p.label === M.$ref) {
-            return [p[1], p];
+            return [p[1].description!, p];
         }
-        if (p.label === M.$lit && typeof p[0] === 'symbol') {
-            return [p[0], p];
+        if (p.label === M.$lit) {
+            switch (typeof p[0]) {
+                case 'symbol': return [p[0].description!, p];
+                case 'string': return [p[0], p];
+                case 'number': return ['' + p[0], p];
+                default:
+                    break;
+            }
         }
-        return [Symbol.for('_anonymous' + nextAnonymousAlternativeNumber++), p];
+        return ['_anonymous' + nextAnonymousAlternativeNumber++, p];
     }
 
     return parseOp(body,
diff --git a/schema/schema.prs b/schema/schema.prs
index dfddd66..394bff4 100644
--- a/schema/schema.prs
+++ b/schema/schema.prs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ Definitions = { symbol: Definition ...:... }.
 ; and the empty pattern is <or []>
 Definition = <or [@patterns NamedAlternative ...]> / Alternative .
 
-NamedAlternative = [@name symbol @alternative Alternative].
+NamedAlternative = [@variant string @alternative Alternative].
 
 ; Pattern & Pattern & ...
 ; and the universal pattern, "any", is <and []>
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ DictionaryEntries = { any: NamedSimplePattern ...:... }.
 
 AtomKind = =Boolean / =Float / =Double / =SignedInteger / =String / =ByteString / =Symbol .
 
-NamedSimplePattern = NamedSimplePattern_ / SimplePattern .
-NamedPattern = NamedSimplePattern_ / Pattern .
+NamedSimplePattern = @named NamedSimplePattern_ / @anonymous SimplePattern .
+NamedPattern = @named NamedSimplePattern_ / @anonymous Pattern .
 
 NamedSimplePattern_ = <named @name symbol @pattern SimplePattern>.