According to IUPAC, a hemiacetal is a compound having the general formula $\ce{R2C(OH)OR'}$ $\ce{( R' ≠ H )}$.
What does the order in which the elements of this formula appear tell us about the connectivity of this molecule? Does it tell us anything besides that a compound with this formula is composed of a carbon, a hydroxyl group, a oxygen, a $\ce{R2}$ group and a $\ce{R'}$ group? Or does it contain any information about how these elements and groups are connected with each other, about the compound's structure?
Surely the order in which these elements appear isn't arbitrary.