Grammar Definition
Grammar definition is a formal specification of the syntactic structure of a language, typically used in computer science to describe programming languages, markup languages, or data formats. It defines the rules for constructing valid strings or expressions in that language, often using formal grammars like context-free grammars (CFGs) or Backus-Naur Form (BNF). This concept is foundational for tasks such as parsing, compiler design, and language implementation.
Developers should learn grammar definition when working on compilers, interpreters, domain-specific languages (DSLs), or tools that process structured text (e.g., configuration files or data serialization formats). It enables the creation of parsers to analyze and transform code, ensuring correctness and efficiency in language processing, and is essential for implementing syntax highlighting, linting, or code generation features.