Name Rascalopedia/Syntax

Synopsis The rules that describe correctly structured programs in a language.

Description According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary syntax means

• the way in which linguistic elements (as words) are put together to form constituents (as phrases or clauses);
• the part of grammar dealing with this.

Dictionary.com is more elaborate and defines syntax as:

• Linguistics:
  • a. the study of the rules for the formation of grammatical sentences in a language.
  • b. the study of the patterns of formation of sentences and phrases from words.
  • c. the rules or patterns so studied: English syntax.
  • d. a presentation of these: a syntax of English.
  • e. an instance of these: the syntax of a sentence.
• Computers: the grammatical rules and structural patterns governing the ordered use of appropriate words and symbols for issuing commands, writing code, etc., in a particular software application or programming language.

Wikipedia says: the syntax of a programming language is the set of rules that define the combinations of symbols that are considered to be correctly structured programs in that language.

In linguistics, a Grammar is a concept that includes syntax. However, in the cases that are relevant for meta-programming they can be used interchangeably. We will use them as synonyms.

In programming languages a further subdivision can be made:

• Lexical syntax defines the form of the lowest level textual items such as keywords, numeric constants, and string constants.
• Context-free syntax defines the global structure of statements, procedures and modules.

A Parser checks that a text in language L indeed adheres to the syntax rules of language L. There are two possible answers:

• Yes. A ParseTree is returned that shows how the text adheres to the syntax rules.
• No. Error messages pin point the location where the text deviates from the syntax rules.

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