What is the relationship between semantics and programming languages?

The relationship between semantics and programming languages is fundamentally about understanding the meaning of the constructs expressed in the language. Semantics defines what each statement in a programming language does, and how it behaves in terms of execution. It goes beyond just the structure or form (syntax) of the code to provide clarity on what the code actually signifies when it is run.

While syntax refers to the rules that dictate how code must be written (e.g., grammar and structure) and data types relate to the kind of data that can be used (like integers, floats, or strings), semantics provides insight into how those elements interact and what results can be expected from their execution. A programmer must grasp semantic concepts to effectively implement algorithms and understand the logic behind their code, ensuring that it not only follows syntactical correctness but also performs the desired operations correctly.

The other choices focus on either the format or the types of data that a programming language can handle, which do not directly address the interpretation or implications of the code that semantics covers.