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Explain formal grammar and its application to syntax analyzer.

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By Dipali Umre

  1. Formal Grammar and its Application to Syntax Analyzer:
    • Formal grammar is like a set of rules that define how sentences in a language are constructed. In the context of programming languages, it specifies how valid code should be written using production rules.
    • Think of it like a recipe. Just as a recipe tells you the steps to make a dish, formal grammar tells you the rules to write code.
    • Syntax analyzer, a part of a compiler, checks if the code follows these rules correctly.
  2. Syntax Analyzer Checks Syntax:
    • Syntax analyzer is like a grammar checker for code.
    • It makes sure that the code is written in a way that the programming language understands.
  3. Grouping Tokens:
    • Before checking the code, the syntax analyzer takes individual parts of the code (like words in a sentence) called tokens from the lexical analyzer.
    • Then it groups these tokens together in a way that makes sense for the programming language’s structure.
  4. Generating Syntactic Error:
    • If the syntax analyzer can’t make sense of the grouped tokens based on the rules defined by the formal grammar, it signals a syntactic error.
    • It’s like when a sentence doesn’t make sense in human language; the grammar checker highlights the mistake.
  5. Syntax Checking:
    • The whole process of the syntax analyzer checking if the code follows the rules of the programming language is called syntax checking.
  6. Checking in Compiler with Specifications:
    • When we talk about checking syntax in a compiler, it means that the compiler uses the formal grammar rules specified for the programming language.
    • These rules, or specifications, guide the compiler on how to understand the code’s structure.
  7. Specifications Tell the Compiler How Syntax Should Be:
    • Specifications are like instructions for the compiler, explaining how the programming language’s syntax should look.
    • They define the patterns and structures that are allowed in the language.
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