lookahead
Previewing what's next
Lookahead is examining what comes next before deciding how to proceed.
In computing and parsing, a lookahead checks upcoming input to determine how to process current data: The parser uses one-token lookahead.
Chess players use lookahead to evaluate future positions.
The term appears in technical contexts where anticipating subsequent elements guides present action.
State of awaiting something
- foresightAbility to anticipate futures
- forecastPrediction of future conditions
- projectionSomething that extends outward
- strategyPlanned approach to goals
preparation · prediction · forward-thinking · contingency · scenario · roadmap · proactive · preemptive
Syntax-interpreting program
- compilerSource-to-machine-code translator
- tokenRepresentative placeholder
- grammarLanguage's structural rules
- predictiveRelating to forecasts
syntax · buffer · backtracking · ambiguity · terminal · production · first set · context-free
Steady continuous flow
- prefetchRetrieve data anticipatorily
- cacheConcealed storage spot
- preloadInstall in advance
- pipelineLong-distance fluid transport tube
queue · sequential · disk · memory · latency · throughput · anticipatory · block
Practical solving shortcut
- minimaxWorst-case loss reduction
- chess engineSoftware calculating optimal moves
- evaluationDetermining worth or quality
- depthDistance below surface
pruning · branching · Monte Carlo · stockfish · position · move · ply · transposition
anticipation
State of awaiting something
- foresightAbility to anticipate futures
- forecastPrediction of future conditions
- projectionSomething that extends outward
strategy · preparation · prediction · forward-thinking · contingency · scenario · roadmap · proactive · preemptive · horizon
parser
Syntax-interpreting program
- compilerSource-to-machine-code translator
- tokenRepresentative placeholder
- grammarLanguage's structural rules
predictive · syntax · buffer · backtracking · ambiguity · terminal · production · first set · context-free
stream
Steady continuous flow
pipeline · queue · sequential · disk · memory · latency · throughput · anticipatory · block · chunk
heuristic
Practical solving shortcut
- minimaxWorst-case loss reduction
- chess engineSoftware calculating optimal moves
- evaluationDetermining worth or quality
depth · pruning · branching · Monte Carlo · stockfish · position · move · ply · transposition · quiescence
- solving strategieselimination, process of elimination, trial and error, guess and check, pattern recognition
- lexical analysisscanner, tokenizer, lexeme, lex
- regexregex, pattern, match, quantifier, anchor
- audio dynamicsdynamic range, compressor, limiter, expander, loudness
- Cubingspeedcubing, cube, cuber, solve, scramble
- Regex Symbolsasterisk, caret, dollar sign, dot, pipe
lookaheadlookback
Examination of past events
hindsight · retrospection · backward glance · backtracking · review