Syntax

What Does Syntax Mean?

In programming, syntax refers to the rules that specify the correct combined sequence of symbols that can be used to form a correctly structured program using a given programming language. Programmers communicate with computers through the correctly structured syntax, semantics and grammar of a programming language.

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Techopedia Explains Syntax

Programming syntax contains strings similar to words, much like a human language. Correctly formed syntax strings produce syntactically correct sentences within a specified programming language.

Syntax describes how language variables and characters may be combined into strings. Semantics gives meaning to the combined strings, while grammar converts characters into tokens or character strings.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…