

Syntax highlighting doesn't require that you have other development tools for a language it doesn't even require that such tools exist. You can even make up your own language that has no implementation (yet), whose programs can never (yet) actually be run, and write syntax highlighting rules for it so that a text editor like Gedit highlights it correctly.

But it can lead to confusion, which has happened here.Īs Puspam and N0rbert have mentioned, it is generally possible to have a tool installed that parses the syntax of a language and applies highlighting, without also having other development tools for the language installed. It is somewhat common to write and speak in a manner that does not distinguish between a language and its implementations. A language cannot really be installed on your computer.
GEDIT SYNTAX HIGHLIGHTING SOFTWARE
It is conceptually distinct from whatever software facilitates developing actual programs in it, and also from whatever software is needed to support such programs and allow them to run. None of the programs or libraries involved in doing these things are actually the language itself.Ī programming language, like any kind of language, is an abstract idea. Applying syntax highlighting, compiling source code into executable code, and running executable code all require different software. TL DR: Different functionality related to the same language is provided by different programs and libraries, which can usually be separately installed.
