traceback

English

Etymology

From trace +‎ back.

Noun

traceback (countable and uncountable, plural tracebacks)

1. (chiefly computing) Determination of origin; the process of tracing something back to its source.
2. (computing) A stack trace (in some programming languages)
   • 2001, Cynthia A. Haynes, Jan Rune Holmevik, High Wired: On the Design, Use, and Theory of Educational MOOs, University of Michigan Press, →ISBN, page 155:

     ... which appears in the top line of the traceback, looking for the point at which the system is likely to have become corrupted . The ability to read and use tracebacks is a skill no MOO administrator should be without .

   • 2019 November 12, Al Sweigart, Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, 2nd Edition: Practical Programming for Total Beginners, No Starch Press, →ISBN, page 252:

     In programs where functions can be called from multiple places , the call stack can help you determine which call led to the error . Python displays the traceback whenever a raised exception goes unhandled . But you can also obtain it […]

   • 2010 March 10, Tim Hall, J-P Stacey, Python 3 for Absolute Beginners, Apress, →ISBN, page 235:

     This is a single-stage traceback. It begins by announcing itself as a traceback and then gives a location in line 1 of "<stdin>" (i.e., your typing, or standard input). It also specifies any method that the exception is raised in: in […]

Anagrams

• backreact, backtrace