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Run-time Errors

If our program has no compile-time errors and no link-time errors, it’ll run. This is where the fun really starts.

Errors which happen during program execution (run-time) after successful compilation are called run-time errors. Run-time errors occur when a program with no compile-time errors and link-time errors asks the computer to do something that the computer is unable to reliably do.

It happens after we give the ./ execute command:


Some common run-time errors:

  • Division by zero also known as division error. These types of error are hard to find as the compiler doesn’t point to the line at which the error occurs.
  • Trying to open a file that doesn’t exist

There is no way for the compiler to know about these kinds of errors when the program is compiled.

Here’s an example of a run-time error message:

Floating point exception (core dumped)



There’s a run-time error in ratio.cpp.

This program is supposed to find the ratio of a table’s dimensions, which is supposed to be 20 x 30.

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