Final answer:
The term 'formal parameter' in the provided code snippet, void doStuff (int x), refers to the variable 'x' which is expected to be an integer. The 'void' keyword indicates no value is returned by the function. The print syntax is incorrect and likely needs adjustment to fit a specific programming language.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Formal Parameters in Programming
When analyzing the piece of code presented in the student's question, void doStuff (int x), it is essential to understand the concept of formal parameters. A formal parameter, sometimes referred to as a formal argument, is a variable included in the function or method declaration that is used to receive input from the caller of the function. In the given code snippet, x is the formal parameter.
The type of the formal parameter is specified before its name, which, in this case, is int indicating that the parameter x should be an integer. The keyword void before the function name signifies that the function does not return any value. When the function doStuff is called with an integer value, this value is passed to the parameter x, and the function can then use this value within its body.
However, it is important to note that the syntax provided in the question appears to be mixing several programming languages or is incomplete, as the print statement is not properly formatted for most languages and is missing a semicolon at the end. Assuming the intent is to print the number passed to the function, a more correct syntax for a language like Java might look something like System.out.println("the number is " + x);, and it should be included within the function's body, enclosed between curly braces.