Syntax Validation
Syntax validation is the process of checking whether code or data conforms to the grammatical rules of a programming language, markup language, or data format. It ensures that the structure and arrangement of elements are correct before execution or processing, typically performed by compilers, interpreters, or dedicated tools. This helps catch errors early, such as missing semicolons, mismatched brackets, or invalid keywords, preventing runtime failures.
Developers should use syntax validation to improve code quality, reduce debugging time, and ensure compatibility with language specifications, especially in compiled languages like Java or C++ where errors can halt builds. It's crucial in web development for validating HTML, CSS, and JSON to avoid browser issues, and in data processing to ensure input formats like XML or YAML are correctly structured before parsing.