# File lib/treetop/compiler/metagrammar.rb, line 3230
      def _nt_white
        start_index = index
        if node_cache[:white].has_key?(index)
          cached = node_cache[:white][index]
          @index = cached.interval.end if cached
          return cached
        end

        if has_terminal?('\G[ \\t\\n\\r]', true, index)
          next_character = index + input[index..-1].match(/\A(.)/um).end(1)
          r0 = instantiate_node(SyntaxNode, input, index...next_character)
          @index = next_character
        else
          r0 = nil
        end

        node_cache[:white][start_index] = r0

        r0
      end