Parsing is the process of analyzing a sequence of symbols, often in the form of text or code, to understand its structure and meaning. This technique is commonly used in computer science, linguistics, and data processing. For example, a parser can break down a sentence into its grammatical components, such as nouns and verbs, to determine how they relate to each other.
In programming, parsing is essential for interpreting code written in languages like Python or Java. A compiler or interpreter uses parsing to convert high-level code into a format that a computer can execute. This ensures that the instructions are understood correctly and executed as intended.