Reshma Saujani

Coding, it's an endless process of trial and error, of trying to get the right command in the right place, with sometimes just a semicolon making the difference between success and failure. Code breaks and then it falls apart, and it often takes many, many tries until that magical moment when what you're trying to build comes to life.

American Lawyer

Lewis Thomas

Sometimes you get a glimpse of a semicolon coming, a few lines farther on, and it is like climbing a steep path through woods and seeing a wooden bench just at a bend in the road ahead, a place where you can expect to sit for a moment, catching your breath.

American Scientist

Jenna Wortham

Oceans of emotion can be transmitted through a text message, an emoji sequence, and a winking semicolon, but humans are hardwired to respond to visuals.

American Journalist

Abraham Lincoln

I have great respect for the semicolon; it is a mighty handy little fellow.

American President

Keith Hernandez

I'm pretty sure when I need a comma; I'm not so sure about a semicolon.

American Athlete

Brian P. Cleary

I love the semicolon; it's unnecessary, but graceful and sophisticated.

American Author

Use semicolons to clarify items in complex lists that contain internal commas.

Clarifying Lists

Semicolons balance two related but independent ideas without using a conjunction.

Balancing Sentences

Too many semicolons can make writing seem complicated; use them sparingly.

Avoiding Overuse

In some languages like JavaScript, semicolons are optional but can improve readability.

Stylistic Choice

Semicolons visually separate statements, making it easier to organize complex codes.

Visual Separator

In loops, semicolons separate initialization, condition, and iteration expressions.

Loop Control

 then, they become enlightening, finally, you'll find yourself falling for these delightful punctuation marks." Even though the commas separate different parts of the sentence, it's easy to lose track of what belongs where. But then the semicolon edges in to the rescue.

How to use a semicolon -...

 with sometimes just a semicolon making the difference between success and failure. Code breaks and then it falls apart, and it often takes many, many tries until that magical moment when what you're trying to build comes to life.

Semicolon

A punctuation mark (;) used to connect independent clauses of a sentence or to separate items in a list, especially when the items contain commas.