We can support Ruby 1.9/Javascript style hashes, as well as ruby ones.

Rakefile

@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ if Object.const_defined?(:Gem)
 
     # Change these as appropriate
     s.name              = "vanilla"
-    s.version           = "1.9.15"
+    s.version           = "1.9.15.1"
     s.summary           = "A bliki-type web content thing."
     s.author            = "James Adam"
     s.email             = "james@lazyatom.com.com"

lib/vanilla/snip_reference.treetop

@@ -23,9 +23,14 @@ grammar SnipReference
   end
 
   rule hash_argument
-    word_or_symbol optional_spaces "=>" optional_spaces word
+    word_or_symbol optional_spaces hash_argument_separator optional_spaces word
   end
-
+
+  rule hash_argument_separator
+    "=>" /
+    ":"
+  end
+
   rule word_or_symbol
    [:]? word
   end

test/snip_parser_test.rb

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), *%w[test_helper])
+Treetop.load File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), *%w[.. lib vanilla snip_reference])
+
+class SnipReferenceParserTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
+  examples = {
+    %|{snip}|                                  => {:snip => 'snip', :attribute => nil, :arguments => []},
+    %|{snip argument}|                         => {:snip => 'snip', :attribute => nil, :arguments => ["argument"]},
+    %|{"snip with spaces"}|                    => {:snip => 'snip with spaces', :attribute => nil, :arguments => []},
+    %|{snip-with-dashes}|                      => {:snip => 'snip-with-dashes', :attribute => nil, :arguments => []},
+    %|{snip_with_underscores}|                 => {:snip => 'snip_with_underscores', :attribute => nil, :arguments => []},
+    %|{"snip with spaces" argument}|           => {:snip => 'snip with spaces', :attribute => nil, :arguments => ['argument']},
+    %|{'snip with spaces' argument}|           => {:snip => 'snip with spaces', :attribute => nil, :arguments => ['argument']},
+    %|{snip "argument with spaces"}|           => {:snip => 'snip', :attribute => nil, :arguments => ['argument with spaces']},
+    %|{snip 'argument with spaces'}|           => {:snip => 'snip', :attribute => nil, :arguments => ['argument with spaces']},
+    %|{snip arg1,arg2}|                        => {:snip => 'snip', :attribute => nil, :arguments => ['arg1', 'arg2']},
+    %|{snip arg1, arg2}|                       => {:snip => 'snip', :attribute => nil, :arguments => ['arg1', 'arg2']},
+    %|{snip "argument with spaces", arg2}|     => {:snip => 'snip', :attribute => nil, :arguments => ['argument with spaces', 'arg2']},
+    %|{"snip with spaces" arg1, arg2}|         => {:snip => 'snip with spaces', :attribute => nil, :arguments => ['arg1', 'arg2']},
+    %|{snip.snip_attribute}|                   => {:snip => 'snip', :attribute => 'snip_attribute', :arguments => []},
+    %|{snip."spaced attribute"}|               => {:snip => 'snip', :attribute => 'spaced attribute', :arguments => []},
+    %|{"snip with spaces".attribute}|          => {:snip => 'snip with spaces', :attribute => 'attribute', :arguments => []},
+    %|{snip.snip_attribute arg}|               => {:snip => 'snip', :attribute => 'snip_attribute', :arguments => ['arg']},
+    %|{snip arg with spaces}|                  => {:snip => 'snip', :attribute => nil, :arguments => ['arg with spaces']},
+    %|{snip arg with spaces, another arg}|     => {:snip => 'snip', :attribute => nil, :arguments => ['arg with spaces', 'another arg']},
+    %|{snip key1=>value1, key2 => value2}|     => {:snip => 'snip', :arguments => {:key1 => 'value1', :key2 => 'value2'}},
+    %|{snip.attribute key1=>value1}|           => {:snip => 'snip', :attribute => 'attribute', :arguments => {:key1 => 'value1'}},
+    %|{snip key1 => value1, key2 => value2}|   => {:snip => 'snip', :arguments => {:key1 => 'value1', :key2 => 'value2'}},
+    %|{snip :key1 => value1, :key2 => value2}| => {:snip => 'snip', :arguments => {:key1 => 'value1', :key2 => 'value2'}},
+    %|{snip key1 => "value with spaces"}|      => {:snip => 'snip', :arguments => {:key1 => "value with spaces"}},
+    # %|{snip "key with spaces" => value} |      => {:snip => 'snip', :arguments => {:"key with spaces" => "value"}},
+    %|{snip key1:value1,key2:value2}|          => {:snip => 'snip', :arguments => {:key1 => 'value1', :key2 => 'value2'}},
+    %|{snip key1:value1, key2:value2}|         => {:snip => 'snip', :arguments => {:key1 => 'value1', :key2 => 'value2'}},
+    %|{snip key1: value1, key2: value2}|       => {:snip => 'snip', :arguments => {:key1 => 'value1', :key2 => 'value2'}},
+    %|{snip key1:"value with spaces"}|         => {:snip => 'snip', :arguments => {:key1 => 'value with spaces'}}
+  }
+
+  def setup
+    @parser = SnipReferenceParser.new
+  end
+
+  examples.each do |example, expected|
+    define_method :"test_parsing_#{example}" do
+      reference = @parser.parse(example)
+      if reference
+        assert_equal expected[:snip],      reference.snip
+        assert_equal expected[:attribute], reference.attribute
+        assert_equal expected[:arguments], reference.arguments
+      else
+        flunk "failed to parse: #{example}"
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end

vanilla.gemspec

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.name = %q{vanilla}
-  s.version = "1.9.15"
+  s.version = "1.9.15.1"
 
   s.required_rubygems_version = Gem::Requirement.new(">= 0") if s.respond_to? :required_rubygems_version=
   s.authors = ["James Adam"]