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Glite Dictionary
target program

target program

5.4
A program that is fully prepared to be loaded and run on a computer
  • noun
  • /ˈtɑːrɡɪt ˈprɒɡræm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : programa objetivo
  • After compiling the code, we tested the target program to ensure it ran smoothly on the computer.

Examples

  • Once the target program was built, users could instantly access its features without additional setup.

  • In this process, a large number of transformations were carried out, making the relationship between the original source program and the corresponding target program less than obvious to the programmer, making it very difficult to identify and correct performance problems.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The developer created a target program that could be easily executed without further modifications.

Synonyms

object code
vstarget program
  • Specialized
1 7.4

Machine instructions made from a program so a computer can run it

is typically the complete ready-to-run result, not only raw machine code
object program
vstarget program
  • Specialized
6.1

A file that is ready for a computer to run

has identical meaning but serves as the canonical label for this entry
binary program
vstarget program
  • Specialized
5.9

A file a computer can run directly, like an app

is broader meaning any fully compiled file ready to be loaded and run

How Ready

target program
  • Specialized
5.4
OBJ
  • Specialized
9.9
source code
  • Specialized
21 4.1

Surface Forms

target program singular
target programs plural

Morphology

target + program

The phrase is compositionally built from 'target' (the intended goal) + 'program' (computer instructions), so a B1 learner would infer it refers to the program that is the intended/selected one. However, the specific technical nuance that it is the fully compiled/assembled, ready-to-run artifact is domain-specific and not fully predictable from the constituents, making the expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

The noun target program comes from the image of aiming at a target: developers and tools aim to produce a final program for a specific computer. So it means a program 'ready to run' on that machine.