Front-end phases: the action of organizing source tokens into syntactic structures (statements, expressions) is called what?

Introduction / Context:
Compilers and interpreters transform source code through a pipeline of phases. After lexical analysis converts characters into tokens, parsing (syntax analysis) builds structured representations such as parse trees or abstract syntax trees that reflect the grammar of the language.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Source code is available as a sequence of tokens from the lexer.
• A formal grammar (often context-free) defines valid sentence structures.
• The parser checks conformance and reports syntax errors.

Concept / Approach:
Syntax analysis applies parsing algorithms (LL, LR, LALR, recursive descent, etc.) to group tokens into syntactic classes—expressions, statements, declarations—according to grammar rules. This yields a tree structure used by later semantic analysis and code generation.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Lexer produces tokens: identifiers, literals, operators, keywords.2) Parser consumes tokens and applies production rules.3) If tokens match grammar patterns, build parse/AST nodes.4) On mismatch, report syntax errors with locations and expectations.

Verification / Alternative check:
In typical compiler outputs (e.g., debug flags), you can visualize parse trees or see parser states and reductions, confirming the role of syntax analysis.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Lexical analysis (option b) is tokenization, not parsing. “Interpretation analysis” (option c) is not a standard phase name. “General syntax analysis” (option d) is vague. “Token coloring” (option e) refers to editor highlighting, not compilation.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing semantic analysis (types, scope) with syntax analysis; semantics happens after parsing on the structured representation.

Final Answer:
syntax analysis