When is a syntax error typically discovered?

A syntax error is typically discovered during the compilation phase of program development. This is because syntax errors occur when the code written does not conform to the rules and structure of the programming language being used. Compilers are designed to analyze the source code for these kinds of errors before the program is executed. They check for proper grammar, punctuation, and language-specific rules, and if any violations are found, the compilation process fails and presents the programmer with error messages to help locate and correct the issues.

Once the code has successfully compiled without syntax errors, it can then be executed, meaning that options related to program execution or testing would come later in the process. Thus, discovering these errors during compilation allows developers to fix issues early, avoiding runtime errors that would be harder to trace and correct after execution or during testing of interfaces.