Syntactic salt
The opposite of syntactic sugar, a feature designed to make it harder to write bad code. Specifically, syntactic salt is a hoop the programmer must jump through just to prove that he knows what’s going on, rather than to express a program action. Some programmers consider required type declarations to be syntactic salt. A requirement to write “end if”, “end while”, “end do”, etc. to terminate the last block controlled by a control construct (as opposed to just “end”) would definitely be syntactic salt. Syntactic salt is like the real thing in that it tends to raise hackers’ blood pressures in an unhealthy way. Compare candygrammar.
[Jargon File]
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- Syntactic sugar
Term coined by Peter Landin for additions to the syntax of a language which do not affect its expressiveness but make it “sweeter” for humans to use. Syntactic sugar gives the programmer an alternative way of coding that is more succinct or more like some familiar notation. It does not affect the expressiveness of the […]
- Syntagm
noun, plural syntagmas, syntagmata [sin-tag-muh-tuh] /sɪnˈtæg mə tə/ (Show IPA). Linguistics. 1. an element that enters into a syntagmatic relationship. noun (pl) -tagmata (-ˈtæɡmətə), -tagms 1. a syntactic unit or a word or phrase forming a syntactic unit 2. a systematic collection of statements or propositions
- Syntagmatic
adjective, Linguistics. 1. pertaining to a relationship among linguistic elements that occur sequentially in the chain of speech or writing, as the relationship between the sun and is shining or the and sun in the sentence The sun is shining. adjective 1. of or denoting a syntagma 2. (linguistics) Also synˈtagmic (sɪnˈtæɡmɪk). denoting or concerning […]
- Syntality
noun 1. behavioral characteristics of a group perceived as parallel to or inferable from the personality structure of an individual.
- Syntax
noun 1. Linguistics. the study of the rules for the formation of grammatical sentences in a language. the study of the patterns of formation of sentences and phrases from words. the rules or patterns so studied: English syntax. a presentation of these: a syntax of English. an instance of these: the syntax of a sentence. […]