Junior — Middle
Can you explain the term 'Run time' and its role in program execution?
sobes.tech AI
Answer from AI
In programming, the term "Run time" refers to the period when a program is launched and executed on a computer. This is contrasted with compile time, when source code is transformed into an executable file.
The role of run time includes:
- Memory management (allocation and deallocation of memory).
- Exception handling.
- Performing dynamic loading of classes or libraries.
- Executing code, including interpretation or JIT compilation (in the case of Java).
In Java, for example, the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) provides a runtime environment where bytecode is converted into machine instructions and executed. This allows the program to be portable across different platforms.
Example: when you run a Java program, the JVM starts in run time mode, loading classes, checking bytecode, and executing instructions.