diff --git a/docs/spec/04.00.00.conventions.md b/docs/spec/04.00.00.conventions.md
index 1935c41..8179c58 100644
--- a/docs/spec/04.00.00.conventions.md
+++ b/docs/spec/04.00.00.conventions.md
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ byte.
 
 * All values of att_metadata_id must equal a value stored in att_dec_unique_id.
 
+* When parsing a value, that value can be assigned to a variable after the value has been parsed.
+  * E.g. sz = buffer_size                              varUI32
+  * buffer                                             UI8[sz]
 
 ### General Conventions
 
diff --git a/docs/spec/edgebreaker.traversal.md b/docs/spec/edgebreaker.traversal.md
index c97529e..a994c4c 100644
--- a/docs/spec/edgebreaker.traversal.md
+++ b/docs/spec/edgebreaker.traversal.md
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 
 ~~~~~
 void ParseEdgebreakerTraversalStandardSymbolData() {
-  eb_symbol_buffer_size                                                               varUI64
-  eb_symbol_buffer                                                                    size * UI8
+  sz = eb_symbol_buffer_size                                                          varUI64
+  eb_symbol_buffer                                                                    UI8[sz]
 }
 ~~~~~
 {:.draco-syntax }
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ void ParseEdgebreakerTraversalStandardSymbolData() {
 ~~~~~
 void ParseEdgebreakerTraversalStandardFaceData() {
   eb_start_face_buffer_prob_zero                                                      UI8
-  eb_start_face_buffer_size                                                           varUI32
-  eb_start_face_buffer                                                                size * UI8
+  sz = eb_start_face_buffer_size                                                      varUI32
+  eb_start_face_buffer                                                                UI8[sz]
 }
 ~~~~~
 {:.draco-syntax }
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ void ParseEdgebreakerTraversalStandardFaceData() {
 void ParseEdgebreakerTraversalStandardAttributeConnectivityData() {
   for (i = 0; i < num_attribute_data; ++i) {
     attribute_connectivity_decoders_prob_zero[i]                                      UI8
-    attribute_connectivity_decoders_size[i]                                           varUI32
-    attribute_connectivity_decoders_buffer[i]                                         size * UI8
+    sz = attribute_connectivity_decoders_size[i]                                      varUI32
+    attribute_connectivity_decoders_buffer[i]                                         UI8[sz]
   }
 }
 ~~~~~
diff --git a/docs/spec/metadata.decoder.md b/docs/spec/metadata.decoder.md
index 9ef9895..409b758 100644
--- a/docs/spec/metadata.decoder.md
+++ b/docs/spec/metadata.decoder.md
@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@ void ParseAttributeMetadataId(index) {
 void ParseMetadataElement(metadata) {
   metadata.num_entries                                                                varUI32
   for (i = 0; i < metadata.num_entries; ++i) {
-    metadata.key_size[i]                                                              UI8
-    metadata.key[i]                                                                   I8[size]
-    metadata.value_size[i]                                                            UI8
-    metadata.value[i]                                                                 I8[size]
+    sz = metadata.key_size[i]                                                         UI8
+    metadata.key[i]                                                                   I8[sz]
+    sz = metadata.value_size[i]                                                       UI8
+    metadata.value[i]                                                                 I8[sz]
   }
   metadata.num_sub_metadata                                                           varUI32
 }
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ void ParseMetadataElement(metadata) {
 
 ~~~~~
 void ParseSubMetadataKey(metadata, index) {
-  metadata.sub_metadata_key_size[index]                                               UI8
-  metadata.sub_metadata_key[index]                                                    I8[size]
+  sz = metadata.sub_metadata_key_size[index]                                          UI8
+  metadata.sub_metadata_key[index]                                                    I8[sz]
 }
 ~~~~~
 {:.draco-syntax}
diff --git a/docs/spec/rans.decoding.md b/docs/spec/rans.decoding.md
index 5b7f6e4..aacba84 100644
--- a/docs/spec/rans.decoding.md
+++ b/docs/spec/rans.decoding.md
@@ -51,15 +51,15 @@ void DecodeTaggedSymbols(num_values, num_components, out_values) {
   l_rans_base = rans_precision * 4;
   num_symbols_                                                                        varUI32
   BuildSymbolTables(num_symbols_, lut_table_, probability_table_);
-  bytes_encoded                                                                       varUI64
+  size                                                                                varUI64
   encoded_data                                                                        UI8[size]
 
-  RansInitDecoder(ans_, &encoded_data[0], bytes_encoded, l_rans_base);
+  RansInitDecoder(ans_, &encoded_data[0], size, l_rans_base);
   for (i = 0; i < num_values; i += num_components) {
     RansRead(ans_, l_rans_base, rans_precision,
-             lut_table_, probability_table_, &bit_length);
+             lut_table_, probability_table_, &size);
     for (j = 0; j < num_components; ++j) {
-      val                                                                             f[bit_length]
+      val                                                                             f[size]
       out_values.push_back(val);
     }
   }
@@ -82,9 +82,9 @@ void DecodeRawSymbols(num_values, out_values) {
   rans_precision = 1 << rans_precision_bits;
   l_rans_base = rans_precision * 4;
   BuildSymbolTables(num_symbols_, lut_table_, probability_table_);
-  bytes_encoded                                                                       varUI64
+  size                                                                                varUI64
   buffer                                                                              UI8[size]
-  RansInitDecoder(ans_, &buffer[0], bytes_encoded, l_rans_base);
+  RansInitDecoder(ans_, &buffer[0], size, l_rans_base);
   for (i = 0; i < num_values; ++i) {
     RansRead(ans_, l_rans_base, rans_precision,
               lut_table_, probability_table_, &val);