diff --git a/rai-sdk-examples/src/test/resources/hello.rel b/rai-sdk-examples/src/test/resources/hello.rel
index f1dc7997..569f2d19 100644
--- a/rai-sdk-examples/src/test/resources/hello.rel
+++ b/rai-sdk-examples/src/test/resources/hello.rel
@@ -1 +1 @@
-def R = "hello", "world"
\ No newline at end of file
+def R {("hello", "world")}
diff --git a/rai-sdk/src/main/java/com/relationalai/Client.java b/rai-sdk/src/main/java/com/relationalai/Client.java
index 7a0f76d1..0b2b2f54 100644
--- a/rai-sdk/src/main/java/com/relationalai/Client.java
+++ b/rai-sdk/src/main/java/com/relationalai/Client.java
@@ -973,16 +973,16 @@ static void genSchemaConfig(StringBuilder builder, CsvOptions options) {
         if (schema == null || schema.isEmpty())
             return;
         var count = 0;
-        builder.append("def config:schema =");
+        builder.append("def config[:schema]: {");
         for (var entry : schema.entrySet()) {
             if (count > 0)
                 builder.append(';');
             var k = entry.getKey();
             var v = entry.getValue();
-            builder.append(String.format("\n    :%s, \"%s\"", k, v));
+            builder.append(String.format("\n    (:%s, \"%s\")", k, v));
             count++;
         }
-        builder.append('\n');
+        builder.append("}\n");
     }
 
     // Returns a Rel literal for the given value.
@@ -1013,7 +1013,7 @@ static void genSyntaxOption(StringBuilder builder, String name, Object value) {
         if (value == null)
             return;
         var lit = genLiteral(value);
-        var def = String.format("def config:syntax:%s = %s\n", name, lit);
+        var def = String.format("def config[:syntax, :%s]: %s\n", name, lit);
         builder.append(def);
     }
 
@@ -1032,8 +1032,8 @@ static String genLoadCsv(String relation, CsvOptions options) {
         var builder = new StringBuilder();
         genSchemaConfig(builder, options);
         genSyntaxConfig(builder, options);
-        builder.append("def config:data = data\n");
-        builder.append(String.format("def insert:%s = load_csv[config]", relation));
+        builder.append("def config[:data]: data\n");
+        builder.append(String.format("def insert[:%s]: load_csv[config]", relation));
         return builder.toString();
     }
 
@@ -1071,8 +1071,8 @@ public TransactionResult loadCsv(
     // Generate the Rel to load JSON data into a relation.
     static String genLoadJson(String relation) {
         var builder = new StringBuilder();
-        builder.append("def config:data = data\n");
-        builder.append(String.format("def insert:%s = load_json[config]", relation));
+        builder.append("def config[:data]: data\n");
+        builder.append(String.format("def insert[:%s]: load_json[config]", relation));
         return builder.toString();
     }
 
diff --git a/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/DatabaseTest.java b/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/DatabaseTest.java
index 51f6293a..cba612a6 100644
--- a/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/DatabaseTest.java
+++ b/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/DatabaseTest.java
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ void testDatabase() throws HttpError, InterruptedException, IOException {
     }
 
     static final String testModel =
-            "def R = \"hello\", \"world\"";
+            "def R {(\"hello\", \"world\")}";
 
     static final String testJson = "{" +
             "\"name\":\"Amira\",\n" +
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ void testDatabase() throws HttpError, InterruptedException, IOException {
         assertEquals(databaseCloneName, createRsp.name);
         assertEquals("CREATED", createRsp.state);
 
-        // Make sure the data was cloned 
+        // Make sure the data was cloned
         var rsp = client.executeV1(databaseCloneName, engineName, "test_data", true);
 
         Relation rel;
diff --git a/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/LoadCsvTest.java b/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/LoadCsvTest.java
index 59529548..4609482a 100644
--- a/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/LoadCsvTest.java
+++ b/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/LoadCsvTest.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public class LoadCsvTest extends UnitTest {
         assertEquals(0, loadRsp.output.length);
         assertEquals(0, loadRsp.problems.length);
 
-        var rsp = client.executeV1(databaseName, engineName, "def output = sample");
+        var rsp = client.executeV1(databaseName, engineName, "def output {sample}");
 
         Relation rel;
 
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ public class LoadCsvTest extends UnitTest {
         assertEquals(0, loadRsp.output.length);
         assertEquals(0, loadRsp.problems.length);
 
-        var rsp = client.executeV1(databaseName, engineName, "def output = sample_no_header");
+        var rsp = client.executeV1(databaseName, engineName, "def output {sample_no_header}");
 
         Relation rel;
 
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ public class LoadCsvTest extends UnitTest {
         assertEquals(0, loadRsp.output.length);
         assertEquals(0, loadRsp.problems.length);
 
-        var rsp = client.executeV1(databaseName, engineName, "def output = sample_alt_syntax");
+        var rsp = client.executeV1(databaseName, engineName, "def output {sample_alt_syntax}");
 
         Relation rel;
 
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ public class LoadCsvTest extends UnitTest {
         assertEquals(0, loadRsp.output.length);
         assertEquals(0, loadRsp.problems.length);
 
-        var rsp = client.executeV1(databaseName, engineName, "def output = sample");
+        var rsp = client.executeV1(databaseName, engineName, "def output {sample}");
 
         Relation rel;
 
diff --git a/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/LoadJsonTest.java b/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/LoadJsonTest.java
index 6324292a..e74e6dc7 100644
--- a/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/LoadJsonTest.java
+++ b/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/LoadJsonTest.java
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public class LoadJsonTest extends UnitTest {
         assertEquals(0, loadRsp.output.length);
         assertEquals(0, loadRsp.problems.length);
 
-        var rsp = client.executeV1(databaseName, engineName, "def output = sample");
+        var rsp = client.executeV1(databaseName, engineName, "def output {sample}");
 
         Relation rel;
 
diff --git a/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/ModelsTest.java b/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/ModelsTest.java
index 36443629..f80143fb 100644
--- a/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/ModelsTest.java
+++ b/rai-sdk/src/test/java/com/relationalai/ModelsTest.java
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 @TestInstance(Lifecycle.PER_CLASS)
 @ExtendWith({TestExtension.class})
 public class ModelsTest extends UnitTest {
-    static final String testModel = "def R = \"hello\", \"world\"";
+    static final String testModel = "def R {(\"hello\", \"world\")}";
 
     @Test void testModels() throws HttpError, InterruptedException, IOException {
         var client = createClient();