What is the primary purpose of parsing in compilers?

The primary purpose of parsing in compilers is to analyze the grammatical structure of code. This process involves taking the source code written in a programming language and breaking it down into its constituent parts, verifying that the syntax adheres to the rules of the language. The parser generates a parse tree or abstract syntax tree, which represents the hierarchical structure of the source code. This tree is crucial for the next stages of compilation as it helps the compiler understand how different elements of the code relate to one another.

When the parser successfully analyzes the code, it ensures that it can proceed to later stages, such as semantic analysis and optimization. The syntax tree serves as a foundation for these subsequent compilation processes, enabling the compiler to generate correct and efficient machine code.

The other options, while relevant to the compilation process, do not describe the primary role of parsing. For instance, optimizing code and converting it into binary format happen later in the compilation process, after parsing has established the syntactical correctness of the code. Additionally, compiling user-defined functions is a more specific task that occurs as part of the broader compilation effort, rather than being the main aim of the parsing stage itself.