Parsing: meaning, definitions and examples

Utilize 'parsing' when referring to the process of analyzing a string or text and breaking it down into its components, typically for computer processing or understanding. Commonly used in programming and data processing.

• The JSON data needs parsing before we can extract the values.
• Parsing the HTML content helps to fetch specific elements for the web scraper.

Use 'analysis' when diving deep into examining the elements or structure of something to better understand it, often in research, statistics, or financial contexts.

• The market analysis shows a sharp increase in demand for eco-friendly products.
• A detailed analysis of the poem reveals themes of love and loss.

Choose 'parsing out' when you're focusing on extracting certain pieces of information from a larger set of data. Typically more informal and used in discussions where separating relevant details from a broader context is the goal.

• After parsing out the important details from the report, we identified the main issues.
• The detective spent hours parsing out useful clues from the witness statements.

Select 'parsing through' to describe the action of carefully going through a large amount of data or documents to find specific information. Often suggests a thorough examination.

• She spent the afternoon parsing through old letters, hoping to find a clue about her ancestors.
• Parsing through the log files, the technician found the source of the problem.

Used in technical or computational contexts, especially in text processing or programming. It involves analyzing a string of symbols, either in natural language or computer languages.

• The compiler is parsing the code to convert it into machine language

Often used in educational or scientific contexts, particularly in biology or anatomy. It can also be used metaphorically to describe a detailed and methodical analysis.

• In the lab, students are dissecting frogs to study their anatomy
• She spent hours dissecting the novel's themes

Used when explaining the meaning of something, such as data, texts, or speech. It emphasizes the subjective aspect of understanding and providing insight.

• The historian is interpreting these ancient texts to understand the culture better
• The data scientist is interpreting the results to find patterns

Commonly used in everyday language to describe the process of dividing something into smaller, more manageable parts. It can be applied to physical objects, tasks, or processes.

• She is breaking down the project into smaller steps to make it easier to manage

As already described, this term is relevant to both computer science for analyzing code and to linguistics for understanding sentence structures. Despite the repetition, the usage context remains consistent across both fields.

• After parsing the HTML, the browser can render the web page.
• The student's parsing of the complex sentence revealed its meaning.

This term is specifically used to refer to the process of analyzing sentence syntax within both linguistics and computational contexts. It focuses on understanding how words and phrases combine to form sentences.

• Syntactic analysis is crucial for natural language processing applications.
• The syntactic analysis of the text uncovered several intriguing patterns.

This phrase is used mainly in linguistics and language studies to describe the process of analyzing the grammatical structure of sentences or language. It focuses on the rules and principles that govern the structure of sentences.

• Her grammatical analysis of the essay was thorough and detailed.
• Grammatical analysis helps in identifying syntax errors in writing.