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Parse Tree and Syntax Tree

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A parse tree is a visual representation of the syntactic structure of a piece of source code, as produced by a parser. It shows the hierarchy of the elements in the code and the relationships between them.

In compiler design, a parse tree is generated by the parser, which is a component of the compiler that processes the source code and checks it for syntactic correctness. The parse tree is then used by other components of the compiler, such as the code generator, to generate machine code or intermediate code that can be executed by the target machine.

Parse trees can be represented in different ways, such as a tree structure with nodes representing the different elements in the source code and edges representing the relationships between them, or as a graph with nodes and edges representing the same information. Parse trees are typically used as an intermediate representation in the compilation process, and are not usually intended to be read by humans.

A syntax tree is a tree-like representation of the syntactic structure of a piece of source code. It is typically used in the process of compiler design, to represent the structure of the code in a way that is easier to analyze and manipulate.

Syntax trees are constructed by parsing the source code, which involves analyzing the code and breaking it down into its individual components, such as tokens, variables, and statements. The resulting tree is made up of nodes that correspond to these various components, with the structure of the tree reflecting the grammatical structure of the source code.

Syntax trees are useful for a variety of tasks in compiler design, such as type checking, optimization, and code generation. They can also be used to represent the structure of other types of linguistic or logical structures, such as natural language sentences or logical expressions.

Example:

Here is the Parse tree for the expression, 3*4+5

 Parse tree

 

Here is the Syntax tree for the expression, 3*4+5

Syntax tree

 

Parse Tree and Syntax Tree

Parse Tree

Syntax Tree

A parse tree is created by a parser, which is a component of a compiler that processes the source code and checks it for syntactic correctness. 

A syntax tree is created by the compiler based on the parse tree after the parser has finished processing the source code.

Parse trees are typically more detailed and larger than syntax trees, as they contain more information about the source code.

Syntax trees are simpler and more abstract, as they only include the information necessary to generate machine code or intermediate code.

Parse trees are used as an intermediate representation during the compilation process.

syntax trees are the final representation used by the compiler to generate machine code or intermediate code.

Parse trees are typically represented using a tree structure with nodes representing the different elements in the source code and edges representing the relationships between them.

Syntax trees are also typically represented using a tree structure, but the nodes and edges may be arranged differently.

Parse trees can be represented in different ways, such as a tree structure, a graph, or an s-expression 

Syntax trees are usually represented using a tree structure or an s-expression.

Parse trees are intended for use by the compiler and are not usually intended to be read by humans.

Syntax trees are also primarily used by the compiler, but they can also be read and understood by humans, as they provide a simplified and abstract view of the source code.

Parse trees include information about the source code that is not needed by the compiler, such as comments and white space.

Syntax trees do not include this information.

Parse trees may include nodes for error recovery and disambiguation, which are used by the parser to recover from errors in the source code and resolve ambiguities.

 Syntax trees do not include these nodes.


Last Updated : 09 Jan, 2023
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