Given this module module Main where main :: IO() main = putStrLn $ show $ foo foo :: Int foo = x + y where x = 6 s = "foo\ \bar" y = 7 nhc98 and hugs correctly (as per the revised report) print 13. ghc gives q.lhs:11: parse error on input `=' I think ghc is in the right here and the report should be updated to read + Where the start of a lexeme does not follow the end of a lexeme on the same line, this lexeme is preceded by <n> where n is the indentation of the lexeme, provided that it is not, as a consequence of the first two rules, preceded by {n}. (A string literal may span multiple lines -- Section 2.6.) (it currently reads + Where the start of a lexeme does not follow a complete lexeme on the same line, this lexeme is preceded by <n> where n is the indentation of the lexeme, provided that it is not, as a consequence of the first two rules, preceded by {n}. (A string literal may span multiple lines -- Section 2.6.) where I have altered only the first line). Thanks Ian