“Runtime” appears in plenty of fields. You can see it in computing just as often as you can see it in theaters. You might want to know whether it’s one or two words before writing it yourself. This article will explore the hyphenated and unhyphenated forms.
All three forms are correct and mean the same thing. It depends mainly on style choice which one will work for you. “Runtime” is the most common choice for all native speakers, and it’s the one you’re most likely to see written down in any case.
According to Google Ngram Viewer, “runtime” is the most popular choice of the three. This shows that it’s most common to keep the two words grouped. “Run-time” and “run time” are both still used and are about as popular as each other.
The Cambridge Dictionary and The Oxford Dictionary both provide entries for “run-time.” This shows that the hyphenated form is grammatically correct and officially recognized.
Both dictionaries also note that “runtime” is a suitable alternative (although it’s a much newer variation, which is why it’s not the official dictionary choice yet).
Neither dictionary mentions “run time” as two words, but there’s no grammatical rule that tells us that it’s incorrect in this form either.
Is “Runtime” One Word?
“Runtime” is correct as one word because it’s common for “run” and “time” to be used together in this context. Originally, it was a hyphenated form, but as English evolved, the hyphen was dropped because native speakers found it much simpler to remove it.
Here are some examples to show you the most popular variation:
- The movie runtime is going to be three hours!
- I don’t think you quite understand what the runtime of this movie is going to be.
- I have a few runtime clocks on the go that will help me to understand when to turn the system off.
- I need you to check into the runtime platform!
Is “Run time” Two Words?
“Run time” is also correct as two words. It’s common for the two words to be used together, so we treat it as a phrasal noun when it’s written in this way. Some people prefer grouping the words because it makes them easier to read, but this isn’t a requirement.
These examples will help you to understand it:
- If you’d like to discuss the run times of the respective platforms, you should talk to your supervisor.
- The run time is all out of order! I don’t think it’s working very well for you.
- Have you got a specific run time for this piece? I don’t know how long I can wait.
- My run time is going to be a little bit off with this software. Sorry about that!
Is “Run-time” Hyphenated?
“Run-time” used to be hyphenated. When it was first introduced as a concept, it was more common to hyphenate the words “run” and “time” to turn them into a compound noun. It’s still correct to use them today, but it’s much less popular than “runtime.”
The AP Stylebook teaches us all we need to know about hyphenating nouns. We can group words like “run” and “time” when they are commonly written together to apply the same meaning to a sentence.
Since “run-time” is such a common concept in computing and filmography, it made sense to keep the words hyphenated whenever they were written. Of course, the hyphen was inevitably dropped for simplicity in written English.
Here are a few examples to help you with it:
- I don’t know what the run-time of this movie is, but I do know it’s a long one.
- The run-time of this software is going a bit nuts! We need to stop it.
- Have you made a list of all the useful run-times for us to get through?
- I’ve set a run-time clock for this one! Now, we just have to wait and see what happens.
Is “Time” Capitalized In The Word “Run-Time”?
“Run-time” is not a proper noun. We do not have to capitalize “time,” even when “run” is the first word in a sentence. The only time you might capitalize both parts is when you use it in a title and every other word is written with a capital letter.
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
The CLR under .NET is referred to as the «Common Language Runtime.» It seems that the convention is «runtime» for a noun and «run-time» for the adjective. Is this correct or should it be «runtime» also? I’m inclined to think it should be like the following:
- The variable is typed at runtime.
- The runtime variable is null.
RegDwigнt
96.4k39 gold badges305 silver badges399 bronze badges
asked May 7, 2012 at 16:22
5
I (as a programmer and linguist) would pretty much always use runtime.
I think you might be building too much into the idea that runtime is an ‘adjective’ in compounds such as runtime environment. The word still remains more noun-like than adjective-like[*] in such cases and there’s little motivation for inventing a special spelling in that case. And if you look at examples of actual articles, textbooks etc, I think you’ll find most authors come to the same conclusion.
In the Java and C# APIs, I also don’t think you’ll find a case of it being spelt «RunTime» rather than «Runtime».
[*] cf. «more flexible environment»~»*more runtime environment»; «this environment is flexible»~»*this environment is runtime» etc. These aren’t perfect tests, because «adjective» vs «noun» don’t really constitute a perfect dichotomy. But you can see that «runtime» is more at the ‘nouny’ than the ‘adjectivy’ end of the scale in these cases.
answered May 7, 2012 at 16:32
Neil CoffeyNeil Coffey
19.4k1 gold badge39 silver badges72 bronze badges
7
This is not really an answer because I’m also lost but I’d like to point out something that seems to be overlooked in these three ways to write «runtime», «run time» or «run-time».
I would risk saying that all three mean different things, that I believe should be applied in different cases:
-
run time: this is how much time your program took to execute. If, on unix, you run
time program, you get as output the program’s run time (or its execution time). It doesn’t sound right to me to refer to this as the program’s runtime or run-time. -
run-time: this is something that happens during a program’s execution, in contrast with load-time (when it is loaded) or compile-time (when it is being compiled). Note that like «run time», I venture that «compile time» is the time it takes to compile, and compile-time is something that happens during a program’s compilation (such as compile-time optimizations — note again that «compile time optimizations» would also be valid if I was referring to optimizations that shorten the time an application takes to be compiled, not optimizations to the application itself).
-
runtime: this is what something is (e.g. «the Java runtime»). Again, it does not seem correct to me to say something like «My program is executed by the Java run time».
Does it really make sense to join all these uses together under one word? It seems to me that their distinction is useful.
answered Sep 22, 2014 at 16:02
Ivo AnjoIvo Anjo
3903 silver badges4 bronze badges
1
The OED gives:
run time n. Computing the time at or during which a program or other task runs (often contrasted to the time at or during which a program is compiled); the length of time taken by the execution of a program or task.
- 1964 Math. Computation 18 486 Separate run-time indications assured us > that we did not have overflow.
- 1972 Nucl. Physics B. 48 123 Every model can in principle be simulated by every simulation method for a sufficiently long run time of a computer.
- 1982 InfoWorld 14 June 77/2 Prompting for data entry during run time.
- 2002 CGI Nov. 56/2 Their program can quickly recompile the programs at run-time according to whichever graphics capabilities are available.
But you really have to check what your publisher’s preferences are. The O’Reilly house style guide uses runtime with neither space nor hyphen as both a noun and adjective. However, when it comes to compiling, they use compile-time as the adjective and compile time with a space as the noun.
This presents problems of parallism failure, however, so in the Fourth Edition of Programming Perl, I’m a bit more flexible than that (pace their in-house proofreaders). For example:
- The following are all equivalent to one another, though
the first two compute the symbol table entry at compile time, while the last two
do so at run time: … - As you see, with RE2, the run time no longer grows proportionately to the input
size, but only to the regex size. - That’s a handy idiom to know anyway—assigning a
sub {}to a typeglob is the
way to give a name to an anonymous subroutine at run time. use charnames (); # no compile-time N{}, just run-time functions- A dynamic scope also extends
to the end of the innermost enclosing block, but in this case, “enclosing” is defined
dynamically at runtime rather than textually at compile time.
As you see, sometimes I won against the in-house proofreaders, and alas, sometimes I didn’t. 
Runtime looks cleaner, but it doesn’t work well when you intermix compile time and compile-time, and you certainly aren’t going to get away with *compiletime.
Of course, when run time means the running time of a program, that’s something quite different from a runtime library and such.
answered May 7, 2012 at 19:43
tchrist♦tchrist
132k48 gold badges366 silver badges566 bronze badges
3
The phrase originated as»run time» — the time it took for an execution cycle «run» of a computer program or other event.
Over time it began being applied as an adjective in computer science, and thus became hyphenated, like: «run-time system» or «run-time execution».
As the word became more and more commonly used in computer science, folks started dropping the hyphen and now you’ll usually just see «runtime». But it’s not universal … my browser spellchecker still thinks that’s a typo 
This NGram shows the relative usage of «run-time» and «runtime», illustrating the change in popularity in recent years.
To address Neil’s comment below, consider this definition of runtime library from Wikipedia:
a runtime library is a special program library used by a compiler,
to implement functions built into a programming language, during the
execution (runtime) of a computer program.
And also consider the definition of execution/runtime:
run time, run-time, runtime, or execution time is the time during
which a program is running (executing), in contrast to other phases of
a program’s lifecycle such as compile time, link time, load time, etc.
answered May 7, 2012 at 16:55
LynnLynn
17.7k6 gold badges53 silver badges91 bronze badges
3
Runtime, as far as I know, is a noun. If you see it used as an adjective, it’s an attributive noun. Based on its derivation, it’s likely that «run-time» is used by someone who is not aware that «runtime» is an accepted word. Or they are writing in steampunk style.
answered May 7, 2012 at 16:34
JeffSaholJeffSahol
18.6k2 gold badges37 silver badges78 bronze badges
1
Whenever I refer to the time a programn takes for execution (= measurement of time), I spell it run time rather than runtime. If, however, I want to stress the program’s status of being running, I call it runtime, e.g. in a phrase like «… variables are determined at runtime«.
I cannot tell why I do it this way round, one certainly could reason for the opposite, but I would always opt for different spellings rather than one because they indicate different meanings.
answered Oct 24, 2013 at 19:15
-
1
run-time
Англо-русский толковый словарь терминов и сокращений по ВТ, Интернету и программированию. > run-time
-
2
run time
1) время исполнения, период работы
Ant:
Англо-русский толковый словарь терминов и сокращений по ВТ, Интернету и программированию. > run time
-
3
run time
Персональный Сократ > run time
-
4
run-time
- на этапе выполнения
- динамический
- время работы
Англо-русский словарь нормативно-технической терминологии > run-time
-
5
run-time
English-Russian dictionary on nuclear energy > run-time
-
6
run time
- время счета
- время прогона
Англо-русский словарь нормативно-технической терминологии > run time
-
7
run-time
вчт
1) период выполнения программы, рабочий период
2) время прогона, время однократного выполнения
4) исполняющая система, система поддержки исполнения программы
•
English-Russian electronics dictionary > run-time
-
8
run-time
вчт.
1) период выполнения программы, рабочий период
2) время прогона, время однократного выполнения
4) исполняющая система, система поддержки исполнения программы
•
The New English-Russian Dictionary of Radio-electronics > run-time
-
9
run time
English-Russian dictionary of computer science and programming > run time
-
10
run time
1. время прогона
2. время обработки
time interrupt — временное прерывание; прерывание по времени
3. время печатания тиража
settling time — время установления сигнала; время успокоения
reversal time — время реверсирования; время перемагничивания
English-Russian big polytechnic dictionary > run time
-
11
run time
1. время прогона; время счета
time interrupt — временное прерывание; прерывание по времени
2. время выполнения
settling time — время установления сигнала; время успокоения
reversal time — время реверсирования; время перемагничивания
English-Russian base dictionary > run time
-
12
run time
English-Russian dictionary of Information technology > run time
-
13
run time
время выполнения; во время выполнения
English-Russian big medical dictionary > run time
-
14
run time
продолжительность работы; длительность серии опытов; время работы; время (компьютерного) расчёта; время вычисления (на ЭВМ)
English-Russian dictionary on nuclear energy > run time
-
15
run-time
3) Программирование: время исполнения , имеющийся во время выполнения, среда выполнения, устанавливаемый во время выполнения, время выполнения
Универсальный англо-русский словарь > run-time
-
16
run time
English-russian automobile dictionary > run time
-
17
run time
1) оперативное время, рабочее время
3) основное время, машинное время, время обработки
English-Russian dictionary of mechanical engineering and automation > run time
-
18
run time
Англо-русский словарь по экономике и финансам > run time
-
19
run time
Большой англо-русский и русско-английский словарь > run time
-
20
run-time
Большой англо-русский и русско-английский словарь > run-time
Страницы
- Следующая →
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
См. также в других словарях:
-
run-time — UK US (also runtime) noun [C or U] IT ► the amount of time it takes for a computer program to perform a task: »The run time will be five hours. ► the time at which a computer program begins a task: »I ve set the run time for five o clock … Financial and business terms
-
Run time — or runtime may refer to:*Run time, the length of a film or television program in minutes *Runtime, in computer science, the duration of a computer program s execution, from beginning to termination *Run time system, software that provides… … Wikipedia
-
run time — run times N COUNT Run time is the time during which a computer program is running. [COMPUTING] … English dictionary
-
run time — noun The time needed for the execution of a computer program • • • Main Entry: ↑run … Useful english dictionary
-
run-time — adjective Of, relating to, or happening during run time … Wiktionary
-
run time — vykdymo laikas statusas T sritis informatika apibrėžtis Laiko tarpas, kada vykdoma programa. atitikmenys: angl. run time; runtime ryšiai: palygink – kompiliavimo laikas palygink – saistymo laikas … Enciklopedinis kompiuterijos žodynas
-
run time — vykdymo trukmė statusas T sritis informatika apibrėžtis Laikas, kurį trunka programos vykdymas. atitikmenys: angl. run time; runtime … Enciklopedinis kompiuterijos žodynas
-
run-time system — noun (computing) A complete set of software which supports a high level language and enables programs to be executed • • • Main Entry: ↑run … Useful english dictionary
-
run time — time during which an application is running (Computers) … English contemporary dictionary
-
Run-time system — In computer science, the runtime system is software that provides services for a running program but is itself not considered to be part of the operating system.Fact|date=April 2008 Examples include:* the code that is generated by the compiler to … Wikipedia
-
Run-time algorithm specialisation — In computer science, run time algorithm specialisation is a methodology for creating efficient algorithms for costly computation tasks of certain kinds. The methodology originates in the field of automated theorem proving and, more specifically,… … Wikipedia
Англо-русский перевод RUN TIME
время выполнения, время счета
English-Russian dictionary of computers .
Англо-Русский словарь по компьютерам.
2012
EGo AIO has a 15 second run time protection.
If an advertised program has the Maximum allowed run time option set to Unknown,
however, the available
time
evaluation proceeds differently.
Однако если значение параметра Максимально допустимое время выполнения объявленной программы Неизвестно, оценка
доступного
времени
будет выполнена по-другому.
The run time will automatically be determined after any end position adjustment
or changes in the rise
time.
Время работы определяется заново после каждой настройки конечных положений
или изменения
времени
разгона.
If the maximum allowed run time setting of the advertised program is set to Unknown,
Configuration Manager evaluates this setting as 0(zero) minutes.
Если для параметра Максимально допустимое время выполнения объявленной программы задано значение Неизвестно, Configuration
Manager интерпретирует это значение как( ноль) минут.
Advertised programs with the Maximum allowed run time option set to Unknown can
run
past the end of maintenance windows.
Объявленные программы с параметром Максимально допустимое время выполнения, установленным в значение Неизвестно могут выполняться
после окончания окон обслуживания.
A prerequisite for proportional operation is that the positioning
time(
run time), i.e. the
time
the actuator requires
to cover the whole travel, is known.
Условием для пропорционального движения является то, чтобы было известно
время
перемещения( время работы), то есть
время,
которое
требуется приводу, чтобы преодолеть весь путь перемещения.
The comparable results focused on space needed, run time for batch jobs and response
time
for ad hoc queries.
Сопоставление результатов осуществлялось по критериям необходимого дискового пространства, времени выполнения пакетных задач и быстроты ответов на специальные запросы.
However, in the case of long logical expressions,
the operations allow to reduce run time and increase code efficiency.
Однако, в случае длинных логических выражений,
эти операции разрешают сократить время выполнения и повысить эффективность кода.
Pipe length Up to 15m More than 15m Run time Not less than 10 min.
Длина трубы До 15 м Больше 15 м Время работы Не менее 10 мин.
Actual stress limit may be affected by conditions such as rotor positioning,
reagents, run time and temperature.
На фактический предел нагрузки могут влиять такие факторы, как позиционирование ротора,
Bundles rely on the module layer for class loading but
add an API to manage the modules in run time.
Связки полагаются на уровень модуля для загрузки классов,
If the value is set as Unknown,
Configuration Manager 2007 evaluates the maximum allowed run time as 12 hours(720 minutes) for monitoring progress.
Если задано значение Неизвестно,
Configuration Manager 2007 устанавливает максимально допустимое время выполнения мониторинга равным 12 часам( 720 минутам).
Is the available
time
left in the defined maintenance window greater or equal to(>=)
the maximum allowed run time for the advertised program plus(+)
the Advertised Programs Client Agent countdown duration.
Доступное время, оставшееся в определенном окне обслуживания, больше или равно(>=)
максимально допустимому времени выполнения объявленной программы плюс(+) продолжительность
отсчета агента клиента объявленных программ.
However, it is critical that administrators be
aware of the possible conflict that may occur between the maintenance windows and the Maximum allowed run time setting on advertised programs.
Однако администраторам следует опасаться конфликта,
который может произойти между окнами обслуживания и параметром» Максимально допустимое время выполнения» для объявленных программ.
For more information on maintenance windows and the Maximum Allowed Run Time setting, see About Maintenance Windows.
Дополнительные сведения об окнах обслуживания и параметре Максимально допустимое время выполнения см. в разделе Об окнах обслуживания.
Is the available
time
left in the defined maintenance window greater or equal to(>=)
the Maximum allowed run time for the advertised program plus(+)
the Advertised Programs Client Agent countdown duration?
Доступное время, оставшееся в определенном окне обслуживания, больше или равно(>=)
максимально допустимому времени выполнения объявленной программы плюс(+) продолжительность обратного отсчета
для агента клиента объявленных программ?
If you are using maintenance windows for the collection on which this program is
run,
a conflict may occur if the Maximum allowed run time is longer than the scheduled maintenance window.
Если для коллекции, в которой выполняется эта программа,
используются окна обслуживания и Максимально допустимое время выполнения больше запланированного окна обслуживания, может произойти конфликт.
Any advertised program will fail to
run
when the maintenance windows defined on the client computer are set for a
period less than that program’s Maximum allowed run time setting.
Никакая объявленная программа не сможет быть запущена, если окна обслуживания, определенные на клиентском компьютере, установлены на период,
меньший параметр Максимально допустимое время выполнения этой программы.
A significantly reduced run time after fully charging the battery pack indicates
that the batteries are near the end of their usable life and must be replaced.
Значительное сокращение времени работы аккумулятора после полной зарядки указывает на то,
что срок его службы подходит к концу и его необходимо заменить.
In addition to actual run time as a percentage of ideal
run time,
there are
the
times
relating to the other general factors managerial and normative.
К показателю
времени,
полученному в виде процентного соотношения между реальным временем пробега и
временем пробега
в идеальных условиях,
следует добавить
время,
обусловленное другими факторами, которые учитываются в общей формуле управленческим и нормативным.
These groups are defined by a script written in either VBScript or JScript,
and result in group membership being determined dynamically at run time according to criteria you define.
Эти группы определяются сценарием, написанным на языке VBScript или Jscript,
что позволяет динамически определять членство в группе во время выполнения на основе заданных критериев.
The most recent event is shown first«Run Time» Elapsed
time
since«History» was
last reset«History Reset» Resetting history log Press to reset«Signal» Live signal reading Press to view«fixed signal».
В первую очередь показываются самые последние события« Время работы»
Время,
прошедшее с момента стирания данных из
журнала« История»« Стирание истории» Стирание журнала истории Нажмите для стирания« Сигнал» Отображение текущего сигнала Нажмите для просмотра« фиксированного сигнала».
Any advertised program will fail to
run
when the maintenance windows(or effective maintenance windows if multiple windows overlap) that are defined on the client computer are set for a
period less than that program’s Maximum allowed run time setting.
Никакая объявленная программа не сможет быть запущена, если окна обслуживания( или эффективные окна обслуживания, если несколько окон перекрываются), определенные на клиентском компьютере, установлены на период,
меньший чем параметр Максимально допустимое время выполнения этой программы.
Also, for a given performance level,
the total number of features required(and therefore the run time cost of the classifier)
for the feature sharing detectors, is observed to scale approximately logarithmically with the number of class, i.e., slower than linear growth in the non-sharing case.
Также для заданного уровня производительности
общее число признаков, требующихся( а потому и время работы классификатора) для обнаружения совместного использования признаков,
растет примерно логарифмически от числа классов, т. е. медленнее, чем линейно, что наблюдается в случае отсутствия совместного использования.
Apart from performance improvements and bug fixes, newer android versions, offer you better and modern user interface design;
an updated Android Run Time(ART) library which allows for faster start-up
time,
disc space economy; and support for OpenGL ES 3.1 which ensures better rendering of 3D and 2D graphics.
Помимо улучшения производительности и исправления ошибок, новые версии Android предлагают вам лучший и современный дизайн пользовательского интерфейса;
обновленная библиотека Android Run Time( ART), которая позволяет быстрее запускать, экономить
дисковое пространство; и поддержка OpenGL ES 3. 1, которая обеспечивает лучшую визуализацию 3D и 2D графики.
When a maintenance window is in place, a program will be launched only if there is
time
available remaining in the
maintenance window to accommodate the Maximum Allowed Run Time setting(plus the Advertised Programs Client Agent countdown duration).
Если задано окно обслуживания, программа будет запускаться только в том случае, если оставшаяся продолжительность окна обслуживания
превышает значение параметра Максимально допустимое время выполнения( с учетом обратного отсчета Агента клиента объявленных программ).
Tcl has coroutines and an event loop PHP supports green threads through coroutines The Erlang virtual machine has what might be called»green processes»- they are like operating system processes(they do not share state like threads do)
but are implemented within the Erlang Run Time System erts.
Виртуальная машина Erlang имеет то, что можно назвать« green processes»- они как рабочие процессы системы, хоть и не объявляют состояние, как это делают потоки,
но реализуются в рамках Erlang Run Time System ERTS.
If a program is set with Unknown as its Maximum allowed run time, it is not bound by the length of a maintenance
window as long as the client countdown period is within the
time
left in the maintenance window.
Если программа установлена с параметром Неизвестно в ее максимально допустимом времени выполнения, она не ограничивается продолжительностью окна обслуживания,
пока период обратного отсчета клиента находится в пределах
времени,
оставшегося в окне обслуживания.
Словосочетания
run-time key — ключ запуска (лицензионной системы)
run-time menu — меню прогона программы
run-time stack — стек для переменных исполняемой программы; стек исполняемой программы
run-time error — ошибка периода исполнения; ошибка при выполнении
run-time check — проверка в процессе выполнения; динамическая проверка
run-time system — система поддержки исполнения программ; исполняющая система
run-time cloner — конструктор объектов
run-time output — вывод информации по ходу прогона программы
run-time module — модуль исполняющей системы
run-time object — объект периода исполнения
run-time journal — регистрационный журнал работы (системы)
run-time library — библиотека программ периода выполнения; библиотека исполняющей системы
run-time license — соглашение об использовании
run-time program — рабочая программа
run-time version — версия этапа выполнения; рабочий вариант; рабочая версия
run-time licence — соглашение об использовании; лицензия на использование
run-time linking — связывание во время исполнения
run-time service — сервис в период исполнения программы
run-time manager — администратор этапа выполнения
run-time support — средства динамической поддержки
run-time constant — константа времени выполнения
run-time overhead — накладные расходы в рабочем режиме
run-time activity — операция, выполняемая в ходе прогона
run-time property — параметр периода исполнения; динамический параметр
run-time exception — исключительная ситуация при работе программы
run-time parameter — параметр периода выполнения (программы)
run-time debugging — отладка программы при прогоне
run-time allocation — динамическое распределение
run-time diagnostics — обнаружение ошибок во время выполнения программы; выявление
run-time environment — среда прогона (программы)
ещё 20 примеров свернуть
Перевод по словам
run — работать, бежать, управлять, бегать, прогон, работа, бег, пробег, ход, показ, трасса
time — время, времена, раз, период, приурочить, повременный
Примеры
You can’t trust the trains to run on time.
Нельзя полагаться на то, что поезда будут ходить по расписанию.
If the train runs on time, we’ll be there by ten.
Если поезд придёт вовремя, к десяти мы будем там.
The clockwork apparatus, timed to run for two hours.
Часовой механизм, заведённый на два часа.
Her schedule doesn’t allow her any time to run errands.
Её расписание не оставляет ей времени на побегушки.
Both author and artist were notoriously always run for time.
И писатель, и художник были известны тем, что у них всегда не хватало времени.
We try to make the trains run on time, but we can’t compete against the weather.
Мы пытаемся наладить расписание поездов, но погода сильнее нас.
We try to make the trains run on time, but we can’t contend against the weather.
Мы пытаемся наладить расписание поездов, но мы не можем воевать с погодой.
What is runtime?
Runtime is a piece of code that implements portions of a programming language’s execution model. In doing this, it allows the program to interact with the computing resources it needs to work. Runtimes are often integral parts of the programming language and don’t need to be installed separately.
Runtime is also when a program is running. That is, when you start a program running in a computer, it is runtime for that program. In some programming languages, certain reusable programs or «routines» are built and packaged as a «runtime library.» These routines can be linked to and used by any program when it is running.
Programmers sometimes distinguish between what gets embedded in a program when it is compiled and what gets embedded or used at runtime. The former is sometimes called compile time.
How does runtime work?
Runtime is a stage of the programming lifecycle. It is the time that a program is running alongside all the external instructions needed for proper execution. Some of these external instructions are called runtime systems or runtime environments and come as integral parts of the programming language.
A runtime system creates a layer over the operating system (OS) that contains other programs that handle the tasks needed to get the main program running. These other programs handle tasks such as allocating memory for the main program and scheduling it.
When an application is at the runtime stage, the executable file of the program is loaded into RAM, along with any files that the program references. These may include code that the user did not write but that works in the background to make the program run. That code is sent to the computer’s processor to be turned into machine code. It then makes the hardware run the program.
Here is a simple example of a runtime system, written in the Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code (BASIC) programming language:
] 10 PRINT "HELLO"
] 20 GOTO 10
The above is source code. BASIC is an interpretive programming language, which means its instructions can be run without first compiling the code into a runtime version. To run the program and print the word Hello, the coder would insert another BASIC command:
] RUN
This is the runtime system. It is its own program that puts a layer between the user’s OS and the source code. It creates the runtime environment necessary for the source code to interact with the OS. That layer tells the computer how to parse and execute the source code, and it sends requests to the OS.
Runtime errors
Many users first encounter the term runtime in the context of a runtime error. This refers to a problem with the program that keeps it from executing at runtime due to any damaged, missing or incompatible components.
Runtime errors can happen for many reasons. Examples of runtime errors are the following:
- Insufficient system resources. Lack of available system resources can cause a runtime error. For instance, if there is not enough memory for a program to run, the runtime environment cannot do its job. The program will likely abort and return an error message.
- Coding error. A bug in the software can cause a runtime error.
- Broken dependency. If there is a break in a connection to another application that the program requires to execute, an error can result.
A runtime environment usually displays a notification that gives the reason for the crash or where in the program the error occurred. Programmers may have to debug the software, either manually or using debugging tools, to get to the root of a runtime error.
Runtime terminology differences
The term runtime has many meanings in computer science. It can refer to the state of a program, a certain type of program or the time at which a program runs.
The main use of the term runtime is to describe the runtime environment — the code that allows a program to function. However, the term is used other ways in programming:
- It is used as a noun to denote the final phase of a program lifecycle when the program is executed (as detailed above).
- When written as two words, run time refers to how long the execution of a program takes.
- It can be used as an adjective to describe processes that happen during that phase of the program lifecycle. Examples are the terms runtime error and runtime metrics.
- It is also used as a descriptor of other programs — including runtime environment, runtime system and runtime library — that enable the main program to run. Collectively, all of those program components may be referred to as runtimes.
Runtime system
A runtime system is software that comes with programming languages as part of the execution model. It creates the layer described earlier that sits over the OS that contains other programs that help run the main program.
Runtime system is often used synonymously with the term runtime environment. Runtime systems and runtime environments act as small OSes that provide every function required for a program to run.
Runtime environment
Runtime environment is defined more broadly as the environment that the program executes in. In a runtime environment, the OS is included, along with hardware and memory. Runtime environments are used more frequently in IT operations, as opposed to application development.
Runtime library
A runtime library is a set of low-level, platform- and compiler-specific routines that the compiler uses to send instructions to the runtime environment so that the program can run.
Examples of runtime systems and environments
Runtime environments perform low-level tasks, including parallel execution, disk input/output, task scheduling, garbage collection or resource management. They may also implement high-level commands, such as type checking, debugging and code optimization.
Three examples of runtime environments are the following:
- Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is needed to run Java programs, enabling Java to work on multiple OSes. JRE performs the basic tasks that Java needs to execute code, such as loading class libraries, verifying memory access and retrieving system resources.
- Common Language Runtime (CLR) is the runtime environment of Microsoft’s .NET Framework. It is a virtual machine that runs and manages code for various high-level services, such as handling object layout and managing references to objects. It also features a garbage collector that manages memory leaks and other programming errors. Like other runtime environments, CLR compiles some intermediate, language-specific code into machine code that the OS can read.
- Adobe Flash Player is another common runtime environment. Adobe Flash Player uses a runtime to run flash code on many different OSes and devices.
Learn more about the differences among runtime environments, engines and systems. Also, find out how developers interpret runtime environment differently than operations personnel.
This was last updated in December 2021
Continue Reading About runtime
- A quick rundown of multi-runtime microservices architecture
- No-code and low-code IoT platforms speed up app development
- Top Java programming tools used in application development
- A practical take on low-code vs. traditional development
- Reading and fixing common runtime errors
Dig Deeper on Software design and development
-
Go programming language
By: Nick Barney
-
debugging
By: Matt Heusser
-
strongly typed programming language
By: Andrew Zola
-
exception handling
By: Alexander Gillis
flyingrobot
Revised question: What is the difference between ‘at run-time’ and ‘in run-time’?
The term ‘run-time’ (run time, runtime) is very frequently used in IT field, to referred to the lifecycle phase of a system.
There are two usages about it: ‘at run-time’ and ‘in run-time’, It appears each is common, for example:
«The image not showing on web page *at* runtime.»
«How to translate your web page *in* runtime»
According to the search engine results, the uses of ‘in runtime’ : ‘at runtime’ = 1.26
From my reading, the two usages have no any clearly different meaning.
So, is both of them correct?
The words such as ‘in’, ‘on’, ‘at’, and ‘for’ to ‘time’ are alway with much confusion for me.
flyingrobot
Языковые навыки
китайский (путунхуа), английский
Изучаемый язык
английский
Статьи, которые тебе могут быть интересны
Еще статьи