What defines the flow of control in a script?

The flow of control in a script is primarily defined by control structures. Control structures, such as loops (like for and while), conditional statements (like if-else), and case statements, dictate the order in which the code executes based on certain conditions or repeated actions. They allow for branching and looping, enabling the script to respond dynamically to different inputs or conditions—essentially controlling the path the program takes during execution.

While function definitions establish reusable blocks of code, and variable scopes determine the accessibility of those variables, they do not directly dictate the sequencing or flow of execution in the same way that control structures do. Syntax formatting, on the other hand, ensures that the code is written correctly according to the language’s rules, but it does not inherently influence the logical flow of the script. Thus, control structures are the foundational elements that establish how a script operates and responds to various situations.