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From: gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Terminology
Keywords: expression definition
Message-ID: <15827@smoke.brl.mil>
Date: 15 Apr 91 21:38:41 GMT
References: <1917@manta.NOSC.MIL>
Organization: U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratory, APG, MD.
Lines: 14

In article <1917@manta.NOSC.MIL> mitch@manta.NOSC.MIL (Ray Mitchell) writes:
>Upon looking for a concise, English definition of the term "expression" in
>a multitiude of C texts, the best I can come up with is:
>	"Any combination of constants, variables, and operators
>	 (producing a value)"

The precise definition of "expression" would be any production derivable
from the grammar rules, starting with the nonterminal "expression".  For
maximum utility one should also stipulate that the production violates
no constraints.

In other words, don't try to short-cut the carefully worked-out standard
for the language; the standard is as elaborate as it is because that is
what it takes to accurately specify the C language.