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Meaning & use

subcode

noun·Advancedtechnicalcomputing

Last updated

UK/ˈsʌbkəʊd/
US/ˈsʌbkoʊd/

Meanings

  1. nouncountabletechnical

    A secondary code that gives extra detail about a main code, for example a more specific category or error type.

    Grammar: Usually used together with the main code: code 404, subcode 2.

    Patterns

    • a subcode of something
    • the subcode for something

    The error message included a main code and a subcode explaining the cause.

    Each invoice carries a department code and a subcode for the project.

    The subcode showed that the payment failed because of an expired card.

  2. nouncountablecomputingrare

    A small section of a program or set of instructions that forms part of a larger body of code.

    Grammar: Less common in this sense; developers usually say 'subroutine' or 'module'.

    Patterns

    • a subcode within something

    She wrote a subcode to handle the date format inside the larger program.

    The developer moved the repeated subcode into its own file.

    A bug in the subcode caused the whole script to stop.

Word forms

pluralsubcodes

Common combinations

enter a subcode
Please enter a subcode after the main code.
error subcode
The server returned an error subcode with its response.
assign a subcode
The clerk will assign a subcode to each expense.
a unique subcode
Every product has a unique subcode.
main code and subcode
The report lists the main code and subcode in separate columns.

Synonyms and how they differ

secondary code
It describes the same idea in plain words but is less compact and less technical.
sub-category
It names the group itself, whereas a subcode is the label used to identify it.
subroutine
It is a section of a program that does one job, and is not a classification label.

Opposites

main code

Word family

code noun
a system of symbols or instructions
code verb
to write computer instructions
subcategory noun
a smaller group within a category
decode verb
to turn a code back into plain form

Commonly confused: subcode or subroutine?

subcode vs subroutine

A subroutine is a reusable block of program instructions, whereas a subcode is more often a secondary label or number.

Practice

The system returned error 500 with subcode 3. What does 'subcode 3' most likely give?

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