diff --git a/b2/CHAR b/b2/CHAR
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a1126bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/b2/CHAR
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+FOO R101X	FP=0603 R=100R TOL=5x
+FOO R102Y	FP=0603 R=1k TOL=1x
diff --git a/b2/HIERARCHY b/b2/HIERARCHY
index 6304f12..bf1a47a 100644
--- a/b2/HIERARCHY
+++ b/b2/HIERARCHY
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 <diode> = D<SCH<Z<TVS;	// D < SCH may make sense, the rest doesn't
 
 T=<comp> {
-	R:	{ R=#R TOL=%R };
+	R:	{ R=#R TOL=%R FP=* };
 	C:	{ C=#F TOL=%C V=#V };
 	L:	{ L=#H TOL=%L I=#A };
 	D:	{ C=#F }
diff --git a/b2/boom.c b/b2/boom.c
index b575ab5..c85f8cd 100644
--- a/b2/boom.c
+++ b/b2/boom.c
@@ -36,22 +36,26 @@ static void open_stdin(const char *name)
 
 static void usage(const char *name)
 {
-	fprintf(stderr, "usage: %s [file]\n", name);
+	fprintf(stderr, "usage: %s [file ...]\n", name);
 	exit(1);
 }
 
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
+	int i;
+
 	switch (argc) {
 	case 1:
 		break;
-	case 2:
+	default:
 		open_stdin(argv[1]);
 		break;
-	default:
-		usage(*argv);
 	}
 	parse_hierarchy();
+	for (i = 2; i < argc; i++) {
+		open_stdin(argv[i]);
+		parse_characteristics();
+	}
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/b2/lang.l b/b2/lang.l
index 85c777c..55be66b 100644
--- a/b2/lang.l
+++ b/b2/lang.l
@@ -23,12 +23,14 @@
 extern int yyparse(void);
 
 static int start_token;
+static int expose_nl;
 static int lineno = 1;
 
 
 void parse_hierarchy(void)
 {
 	start_token = START_HIERARCHY;
+	expose_nl = 0;
 	yyparse();
 }
 
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ void parse_hierarchy(void)
 void parse_characteristics(void)
 {
 	start_token = START_CHAR;
+	expose_nl = 1;
 	yyparse();
 }
 
@@ -62,7 +65,9 @@ void parse_characteristics(void)
 "/*"([^*]|("*"+([^*/])))*"*"+"/" ;
 
 [ \t]				;
-\n				lineno++;
+\n				{ lineno++;
+				  if (expose_nl)
+					return TOK_NL; }
 ^#[^n]*\n			lineno++;
 
 .				return *yytext;
diff --git a/b2/lang.y b/b2/lang.y
index b34bb45..39b67a0 100644
--- a/b2/lang.y
+++ b/b2/lang.y
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "util.h"
 #include "param.h"
 #include "chr.h"
+#include "db.h"
 
 #include "y.tab.h"
 
@@ -68,11 +69,13 @@ static const struct field *top_field(void)
 	struct selector *sel;
 	struct condition *cond;
 	struct action act;
+	struct part *part;
+	struct param *param;
 };
 
 
 %token			START_HIERARCHY START_CHAR
-%token			TOK_LE TOK_GE
+%token			TOK_LE TOK_GE TOK_NL
 %token	<s>		WORD
 
 %type	<equiv>		nameqs
@@ -83,11 +86,14 @@ static const struct field *top_field(void)
 %type	<sel>		selectors
 %type	<cond>		conditions condition
 %type	<act>		opt_wildcard action
+%type	<part>		part
+%type	<param>		param params
 
 %%
 
 all:
 	START_HIERARCHY hierarchy
+	| START_CHAR characteristics
 	;
 
 hierarchy:
@@ -337,3 +343,40 @@ format:
 				yyerrorf("unknown field \"%s\"", $2);
 		}
 	;
+
+characteristics:
+	| TOK_NL
+	| part characteristics
+	;
+
+part:
+	WORD WORD params TOK_NL
+		{
+			$$ = part_lookup($1, $2);
+			if (!$$)
+				$$ = part_add($1, $2);
+			if ($$->param)
+				yyerror("parameters already defined");
+			$$->param = $3;
+		}
+	;
+
+params:
+		{
+			$$ = NULL;
+		}
+	| param params
+		{
+			$$ = $1;
+			$$->next = $2;
+		}
+	;
+
+param:
+	WORD '=' WORD
+		{
+			$$ = alloc_type(struct param);
+			$$->u.name = $1;
+			$$->value.u.name = $3;
+		}
+	;
diff --git a/b2/param.h b/b2/param.h
index dd4360c..09acd12 100644
--- a/b2/param.h
+++ b/b2/param.h
@@ -69,6 +69,15 @@ struct value {
 	} u;
 };
 
+struct param {
+	union {
+		const char *name;
+		const struct field *field;
+	} u;
+	struct value value;
+	struct param *next;
+};
+
 struct param_ops {
 	int (*eval)(const struct format *fmt, const char *s,
 	    struct value *res);