Editing Core dump (section)

{{Short description|Snapshot of computer memory data}}
[[File:Magnetic core.jpg | thumb | right | alt=50x photograph of magnetic core random access memory from a 4 KiB memory plane. | 50x photograph of magnetic core random access memory from a 4 KiB memory plane]]
In [[computing]], a '''core dump''',{{efn|The term [[Magnetic-core memory | core]] is obsolete on contemporary hardware, but is used on many systems for historical reasons.}} '''memory dump''', '''crash dump''', '''storage dump''', '''system dump''', or '''ABEND dump'''<ref>{{cite web|title=AIX 7.1 information|url=http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/aix/v7r1/index.jsp}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> consists of the recorded state of the working [[Computer storage|memory]] of a [[computer program]] at a specific time, generally when the program has [[crash (computing)|crashed]] or otherwise terminated abnormally.<ref>{{man|5|core|Solaris|Process core file}}</ref>  In practice, other key pieces of [[Context switch|program state]] are usually dumped at the same time, including the [[processor register]]s, which may include the [[program counter]] and [[stack pointer]], memory management information, and other processor and operating system flags and information. A '''snapshot  dump''' (or '''snap dump''') is a memory dump requested by the [[computer operator]] or by the running program, after which the program is able to continue. Core dumps are often used to assist in diagnosing and [[debugging]] errors in computer programs.

On many operating systems, a [[fatal exception]] in a program automatically triggers a core dump. By extension, the phrase "to dump core" has come to mean in many cases, any fatal error, regardless of whether a record of the program memory exists. The term "core dump", "memory dump", or just "dump" has also become jargon to indicate any output of a large amount of raw data for further examination or other purposes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.techopedia.com/definition/23340/database-dump|title=What is a Database Dump? - Definition from Techopedia|author=Cory Janssen|work=Techopedia.com|date=25 October 2012 |access-date=29 June 2015|archive-date=20 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150820111721/http://www.techopedia.com/definition/23340/database-dump|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sophos.com/en-us/support/knowledgebase/111474.aspx|title=How to configure a computer to capture a complete memory dump|date=12 July 2010|work=sophos.com|access-date=29 June 2015|archive-date=1 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701072810/https://www.sophos.com/en-us/support/knowledgebase/111474.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>