Syntax (programming languages)

In computer science, the syntax of a programming language is the set of rules that defines the combinations of symbols that are considered to be a correctly structured document or fragment in that language.

Description

This applies both to programming languages, where the document represents source code, and markup languages, where the document represents data.

The syntax of a language defines its surface form.

Text-based computer languages are based on sequences of characters, while visual programming languages are based on the spatial layout and connections between symbols (which may be textual or graphical).

Syntax error

Documents that are syntactically invalid are said to have a syntax error.

Semantics

Syntax (form) is contrasted with semantics (meaning).

In processing computer languages, semantic processing generally comes after syntactic processing, but in some cases semantic processing is necessary for complete syntactic analysis, and these are done together or concurrently.

Compilers

In a compiler, the syntactic analysis comprises the frontend, while semantic analysis comprises the backend (and middle end, if this phase is distinguished).

See also

• Array data type
• Compiler
• Computer program
• Computer programming
• Computer science
• Data type
• "Hello, World!" program
• Interpreter (computing)
• JavaScript syntax
• Lexical analysis
• Programming language
• Syntactic sugar
• Syntax error
• Syntax highlighting
• Syntax (logic)

External links

• Syntax (programming languages) @ Wikipedia