A free-form language allows coding to be placed on any line and still be valid, making troubleshooting easier. Syntax is important, but placement isn’t. Some programming languages combine both free-form and positioned elements.
A free-form language is a computer language where the coding can be placed on any line and still be valid. This means that a code can start on one line, end multiple lines down and still be a valid command. Placement is sometimes quite important with grouped elements, because the programming must be within the group, but can still be placed on any row. There are some programming languages that use free-form language elements, but are not fully free-form. The benefit of this type of programming is that programmers have a lot of fun typing code without having to worry about line breaks, and both security and troubleshooting are usually better.
In some programming languages, positioning is very important. For example, if half of a command is on one line and the other half on another, the command won’t start because it’s invalid. With a free-form language, there can be an infinite number of line breaks and the command will still be valid. At the same time, while the placement isn’t important, the syntax is, so some commands must follow others to work as intended.
Depending on the free-form language itself, many programming languages have grouping elements where the start and end of the group are enclosed in parentheses or similar characters. Positioning is usually slightly more important in a group atmosphere, because commands must be within the group to be valid. At the same time, as long as I’m in the group, it doesn’t matter if all the commands are on a single line or if they have multiple line breaks.
Most programming languages are either free form or not, but there are some exceptions where a programming language can combine both. In this case, it’s like a free-form language in that some elements, such as tables or certain groups, can be free-form, but the other elements must be positioned correctly. These languages normally have only a few free-form elements.
The benefits of a free-form language might not seem that great, because this allows the programmer to place code on any line and make it work, but there are some big benefits. For one, the programmer doesn’t have to spend time checking for correct placement, so troubleshooting bad code is usually easier. If the programmer wants to increase security, he can place all the code on one long horizontal line. This is hard to read, making it harder for people to steal.
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