Runtime: The environment your program runs in, or the time when it is running. A "runtime error" happens while the program is running, not while it is being compiled.
Example
Your code compiles fine but crashes at runtime because a value is null.
Why Runtime matters for IT interns
It helps you tell errors caught early apart from errors that only appear when the app is used.
Where you will hear it
You will hear this term in development teams, in code reviews and technical discussions, and in technical interviews. If someone uses it and you are not sure what they mean in your project, it is completely fine to ask; every team uses terms a little differently.
Related terms
- Production Environment: The servers, databases and settings that run the live application for real users.
- Requirement: A description of what the software should do or how it should behave, usually agreed with the business or…
- REST API: A common style of API that uses web addresses (URLs) and HTTP methods such as GET, POST, PUT and DELETE to…
- SDK: Software Development Kit: a set of tools, libraries and documentation for building software for a particular…
- Software Development: The whole work of planning, building, testing and maintaining software.
- Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC): The stages software goes through: requirements, design, development, testing, deployment and maintenance.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Runtime?
The environment your program runs in, or the time when it is running. A "runtime error" happens while the program is running, not while it is being compiled.
What is an example of Runtime?
Your code compiles fine but crashes at runtime because a value is null.
Why does Runtime matter for IT interns?
It helps you tell errors caught early apart from errors that only appear when the app is used.
Explore more internship terms
The IT Internship Glossary explains 199 terms you will hear before and during your internship, with simple definitions and real examples.
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About the author
Dhaivat has 16+ years of experience in the IT industry, working on AI and cloud technologies, project delivery, and engineering leadership. He has interviewed and mentored many interns, wrote The Lost Intern, and runs the non-commercial Career Impact Initiative, mentoring students for free.