Abstract Syntax Tree (AST)

The Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) is a hierarchical, tree-based data structure that represents the abstract syntactic structure of source code, capturing essential structural and content details.

The AST is the critical output of a compiler’s syntax analysis phase: it models program structure, abstracting away non-essential details like parentheses or whitespace. Each node in the tree denotes a specific language construct: for example, a `BinaryExpression` node will have children for the left operand, the operator (e.g., '+'), and the right operand. This structured representation is foundational for numerous downstream processes, including code optimization in compilers, interpretation in runtime environments, and advanced static analysis tools (linters) that reason about code logic and security.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_syntax_tree