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Glite Dictionary
program line

program line

4.1
A single line of code in a computer program
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : línea de programa
  • The first program line initializes the variables.

Examples

  • She spent hours debugging a single program line that caused the error.

  • Each program line must end with a semicolon.

  • Each program line must end with a semicolon in this language.

  • Good programmers write comments beside each program line to explain its purpose.

  • Each program line in the script must be correctly formatted to avoid syntax errors.

  • The software crashed because one program line was missing a semicolon.

  • To debug the app, you need to review every program line for mistakes.

Synonyms

command
vsprogram line
  • Specialized
392 3.7

An order given by someone in authority or a computer instruction

is a single row of code serving as the software unit, not human direction
instruction
vsprogram line
  • Specialized
39 4.6

A single command in a computer program that the computer follows

is a single row of code focusing on structure rather than processor action
statement
vsprogram line
  • Specialized
10 4.6

A single line of code that tells the computer to do something

is a single row of code focusing on structure rather than the action

How Much Code

program
  • Specialized
∞ 3.1
module
101 3.7
function
  • Specialized
343 4.9
program line
  • Specialized
4.1
character
136 3.2

Surface Forms

program line singular
program lines plural
programme lines plural
programme line singular

Morphology

program + line

The meaning 'a single line of code' is directly and compositionally derived from 'program' (coded instructions) plus 'line' (a line of text), following a standard English noun + noun pattern that B1 learners can interpret from the constituent meanings. There is a minor caveat that if a learner only knows a rarer sense of 'line' (e.g. 'a short informal message') they might be unsure, but in ordinary usage 'line' as a row of text makes the compound transparently understandable.

Etymology

The compound program line comes from how computer instructions are written: each program instruction appears on its own line of text. That simple picture of one instruction per line is why the phrase means 'a single line of code in a computer program'.