The syntax analyzer, also known as the parser, is an important phase of a compiler.
It checks whether the sequence of tokens generated by the lexical analyzer follows the grammar rules of the programming language.
The syntax analyzer ensures that the program structure is correct according to the language grammar.
It checks the proper arrangement and ordering of tokens.
It organizes tokens into a parse tree or syntax tree, which represents the hierarchical structure of the program.
The parser detects syntax errors such as:
- Missing symbols
- Extra symbols
- Incorrect ordering of tokens
These errors are reported so they can be corrected.
After successful parsing, the syntax analyzer passes the structured representation of the program to the semantic analyzer for further checks.
In short, the syntax analyzer validates the grammatical structure of the program and prepares it for semantic analysis.