Q. Some times when I am running an application, I get a "runtime error". It has a number and some message that I don't understand. What are these runtime errors all about?
A. Experiencing a runtime error does NOT indicate that the user has done something wrong. It means that the program did not respond in the manner the writer anticipated it would under the existing conditions.
Generally, a runtime error is an error generated when the computer is running a specific software application and comes across something it doesn’t understand or cannot handle. The runtime error message can be caused by many things, but is most often associated with a conflict with another running program, a software issue, malware or a memory problem.
Runtime errors are pretty non-descript, and rarely mean anything to the user. They are meant to assist the writer and testers in de-bugging new software. Fortunately, runtime errors do not usually cause anything but the running program to close, and rarely effect the operating system itself.
Since all computers differ in their hardware configuration and software they are using, some problems can only be detected while the program is running. Memory limits, buffer limits or other program interferences are three examples of this.
For this reason, some programming problems may not be detected until the program is run on a user’s computer with his data. Even with sophisticated compile-time checking and pre-release testing, these problems will exists. When one of these problems is experienced by the end user, it will probably generate a runtime error message. (Click HERE for a list of common Windows runtime error numbers and their associated messages)
A runtime program is essentially a library of basic instructions for a particular computer programming language. It is used to help manage a program written in that language while it is running. Each programming language will have its own runtime library.
A runtime library’s collection of utility functions, support a program while it is running. These work with the operating system, providing things like mathematical functions, input, output, etc. Using these libraries eliminates the need for the programmer to rewrite basic capabilities every time one is needed in a program.
Q. Sometimes when I go to a website a box pops up that asks "Do you want to allow Java applets ?" Nothing noticeable happens if I say yes or no and the same question pops up repeatedly as I move around the site. What is a Java appellate? Should I allow them or not?
A. Java applets are used to provide interactive features to web applications that cannot be provided by the normal HTML code. Since they can also be used to spread malware, they are usually not allowed by default and the user is asked to allow or disallow them to be operated.
It is advisable to not allow them unless there is something on the page that you want to view that doesn't work without them. When you enable them, something could be happening even though you cannot detect it. That's why malware programmers like them. If you trust the web site then allow them. If you are not sure about the site then don't.
You can set your browser preferences to allow all java applets by default without asking for your permission if you so desire, but it is not recommended. However, should you want to do this, here's how.
Open the Control Panel, (click on Network and Internet Connections if in category view,) then click on Internet Options. Click the Security tab, click the Custom Lever button, and scroll down to the Scripting section. Find Scripting of Java Applets, and check the Enable button.