It is actually easier to understand the use of the semicolon, than it is for the comma. A semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses. For more information see here: http://www.essortment.com/all/semicolon_rcnr.htm
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Semicolon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A semicolon (  ;  ) is a conventional punctuation mark with several uses, mainly for pauses in sentences and breaks in lists. The Italian printer Aldus Manutius the Elder established the practice ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semicolon
The semicolon (;) has only one major use. It is used to join two complete sentences into a single written sentence when all of the following conditions are met:
www.informatics.sussex.ac.uk/department/docs/punctuatio... www.informatics.sussex.ac.uk/department/docs/punctuation/node17.html
Brief and Straightforward Guide: How are Colons and Semicolons Used in Sentences? ... The colon is used to separate the set-up from the list itself. Individual elements of that list are separated with commas.
www.wisegeek.com/how-are-colons-and-semicolons-used-in-... www.wisegeek.com/how-are-colons-and-semicolons-used-in-sentences.htm
･ Use semicolons sparingly in business writing. Wherever possible, to prevent too-long sentences, turn ... ･ Two closely related sentences not already joined by a conjunction such as and or but. [Some employees ...
http://www.writingcenter.com/tenquestions.htm
Allan M. Siegal, a longtime arbiter of New York Times style before retiring, opined, “The semicolon is correct, though I’d have used a colon, which I think would be a bit more sophisticated in that sentence.”...
qritiq.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/breaking-news-semi-colo... qritiq.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/breaking-news-semi-colon-used-correctly/
The ON_ERROR/ENDON_ERROR block, if used, must appear after the declarations and before ... Required parameters and optional parameters are separated by a semicolon. Parameters before the semicolon are required parameters; those after the semicolon are optional. If no semicolon is specified, then the parameters are required.
www.openvms.compaq.com/doc/73final/6018/6018pro_008.htm... www.openvms.compaq.com/doc/73final/6018/6018pro_008.html
Any symbols that are neither declared nor used as the target of an assignment statement before being referenced by DECTPU are assumed to be undefined procedures. ... You must use a semicolon to separate each executable statement from other statements. In a program, you must place all procedure declarations before any...
www.openvms.compaq.com/doc/73final/6018/6018pro_010.htm... www.openvms.compaq.com/doc/73final/6018/6018pro_010.html
Placing a semicolon a the end of an expression has the effect of suppressing output. This is useful if you don't want to see a long result, only compute it. ... After an expression is completed, if a semicolon follows before a linebreak, the completed expression and next expression are part of a CompoundExpression,
faculty.uml.edu/klevasseur/mathematica/short/HTMLLinks/... faculty.uml.edu/klevasseur/mathematica/short/HTMLLinks/short_10.html
The OWL at Purdue University ... Browse OWL Resources ... We're working hard to revise, update, and place all of our existing and new material into this new version of the site.
owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_overvw.html