Python 3 - Second Edition

4.2    Basic Structure of a Python Program

To give you a feel for the Python language, we’ll first provide an overview of its syntax. The word syntax comes from the Greek and means "sentence structure." The syntax of a programming language is the complete description of permitted and forbidden constructions. The syntax is defined by a grammar that must be adhered to by the programmer. If he or she doesn’t do that, the well-known syntax error will be triggered.

Python gives a programmer very precise instructions on how to structure the source code. Although experienced programmers may see this as a limitation, this feature benefits novice programmers in particular, because unstructured and cluttered code is one of the biggest sources of errors ...