2.1 Chapter Objectives

• Introduce syntax and semantics.

• Describe formal methods for defining the syntax of a programming language.

• Establish an understanding of regular languages, expressions, and grammars.

• Discuss the use of Backus–Naur Form to define grammars.

• Establish an understanding of context-free languages and grammars.

• Introduce the role of context in programming languages and the challenges in modeling context.