Compile time

In computer science, the term compile-time or compile-time associated with operations that are performed by a compiler in the same period as the generation of object code. The translation time is the counterpart at runtime ( Runtime).

Compiler typically lead by at compile time analysis of programs to be translated. In statically typed programming languages ​​such as Java, C #, Pascal, or Haskell, this includes the verification of compliance with the type compatibility in assignments and transfers of parameters to subroutines. Expanding templates ( for example, in C ), is another operation that occurs at compile time.

As a rule, follows relatively directly after the translation of the source code of a program binding ( left ), during which the object files of several program components are linked together. The subsequent execution of the program (term ), however, usually is not in a direct relationship with the translation. In programming languages ​​that do not have a compiler and interpreted, there is usually no time translation in the strict sense. Partial but is performed with the help of Just- in-time compilation even when interpreted languages ​​compilation. The time spent here but it is usually no longer used as compile-time, but associated with the duration of the program.

A strategy for improving software quality is to be carried out as many checks at compile-time, so as not to detect errors at run time, ie during the actual use of the program.

• Compiler
• Programming