In computer science, a computer program specifies behavior that is eventually invoked, causing that behavior to be exhibited by a running program. Hence, a program has a lifetime that includes distinct phases, starting with the editing of the code that specifies the behavior, and extending through
execution, which exhibits the specified behavior. The main phases of a program's lifecycle include
edit time,
compile time,
distribution time,
installation time,
link time,
load time, and
run time.