What is “runtime”?

Question

I have heard about things like \"C Runtime\", \"Visual C++ 2008 Runtime\", \".NET Common Language Runtime\", etc.

• What is \"runtime\" exactly?

Answer 1

Matt Ball answered it correctly. I would say about it with examples.

Consider running a program compiled in Turbo-Borland C/C++ (version 3.1 from the year 1991) compiler and let it run under a 32-bit version of windows like Win 98/2000 etc.

It's a 16-bit compiler. And you will see all your programs have 16-bit pointers. Why is it so when your OS is 32bit? Because your compiler has set up the execution environment of 16 bit and the 32-bit version of OS supported it.

What is commonly called as JRE (Java Runtime Environment) provides a Java program with all the resources it may need to execute.

Actually, runtime environment is brain product of idea of Virtual Machines. A virtual machine implements the raw interface between hardware and what a program may need to execute. The runtime environment adopts these interfaces and presents them for the use of the programmer. A compiler developer would need these facilities to provide an execution environment for its programs.