binding time


binding time

[′bīn·diŋ ‚tīm] (computer science) The instant when a symbolic expression in a computer program is reduced to a form which is directly interpretable by the hardware. The instant when a variable is assigned its data type, such as integer or string.

binding time

(1) In program compilation, the point in time when symbolic references to data are converted into physical machine addresses. See bind.

(2) When a variable is assigned its type (integer, string, etc.) in a programming language. Traditional compilers and assemblers provide early binding and assign types at compilation. Object-oriented languages provide late binding and assign types at runtime when the variable receives a value from the keyboard or other source.