self-referential code

noun

UK /ˌself rɛfəˈrɛnʃəl kəʊd/

US /ˌsɛlf rɛfəˈrɛnʃəl koʊd/

Code that talks about or looks at itself.

The program printed its own source code, which is a classic example of self-referential code.

SYNONYMS

self-referencing code introspective code self-describing code reflexive code

RELATED WORDS

quine reflection metaprogramming recursion introspection

OTHER MEANINGS

2. A program that can read, modify, or reproduce its own instructions.

The quine is a tiny piece of self-referential code that outputs itself.

3. Code whose behavior depends on inspecting its own structure at runtime.

Using reflection, the self-referential code listed all of its own methods.

4. A joke or comment inside code that refers to the code itself.

The comment 'this line intentionally left blank' is a bit of self-referential code humor.