activation record
nounUK /ˌæk.tɪˈveɪ.ʃən ˈrek.ɔːd/
US /ˌæk.təˈveɪ.ʃən ˈrek.ɚd/
A small note a computer makes to remember what a program is doing while it works on a job.
When the function was called, the computer created a new activation record to keep track of its variables.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A block of memory holding the parameters, local variables, and return address for one running subroutine.
Each recursive call pushed another activation record onto the stack.
3. A data structure that stores the state of a program's execution at a particular point.
The debugger inspected the activation record to find the value of the loop counter.
4. The record kept by a runtime system to manage a single invocation of a procedure.
The activation record was popped off the stack when the procedure returned.