A syntax error refers to a mistake in a statement's syntax. This term is used mostly in association with programming languages or command line interfaces. In compiled programming languages, a syntax error is a fatal error that the programmer must correct before being able to fully compile the program. Some IDEs are able to display syntax errors in real-time.

Syntax errors may also occur when an invalid equation is entered into a calculator. This is most often caused by opening brackets without closing them, or less commonly, using several decimal points in one number.

Example of a syntax error in C++

---

include 
int main()
{
     std::cout << "Hello world!\n";
     return 0
}

In the above example, an expected semi-colon is missing after the return statement.

See also

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• Parsing
• Logic error

Computer errors

Syntax error