Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Statement (computer science)
open-in-new
<p>In <a href="/facts/Computer_programming/QmSsFnu0">computer programming</a>, a statement is a <a href="/facts/Syntax_/zM5oInza">syntactic</a> unit of an <a href="/facts/Imperative_programming/6b5dUnE1">imperative programming language</a> that expresses some action to be carried out. A <a href="/facts/Computer_program/e38jH9N9">program</a> written in such a language is formed by a sequence of one or more statements. A statement may have internal components (e.g. <a href="/facts/Expression_(computer_science)/eRlhoBeN">expressions</a>). </p><p>Many programming languages (e.g. <a href="/facts/Ada_(programming_language)/Y2yHel4l">Ada</a>, <a href="/facts/Algol_60/QnpxUYQm">Algol 60</a>, <a href="/facts/C_(programming_language)/Ky2No763">C</a>, <a href="/facts/Java_(programming_language)/9ScgFyAL">Java</a>, <a href="/facts/Pascal_(programming_language)/b3yvp8bF">Pascal</a>) make a distinction between statements and <a href="/facts/Declaration_(computer_programming)/CbH6UjHA">definitions/declarations</a>. A definition or declaration specifies the data on which a program is to operate, while a statement specifies the actions to be taken with that data. </p><p>Statements which cannot contain other statements are <i>simple</i>; those which can contain other statements are <i>compound</i>. </p><p>The appearance of a statement (and indeed a program) is determined by its <a href="/facts/Syntax_/zM5oInza">syntax</a> or grammar. The meaning of a statement is determined by its <a href="/facts/Semantics_(computer_science)/JEP1zyBv">semantics</a>. </p>