What type of error occurs during the linking process of a program?

During the linking process of a program, a linker error occurs when the linker is unable to correctly interpret the references between various modules or libraries of a program. This can happen for several reasons, such as missing function definitions, unresolved variables, or attempting to link incompatible libraries. The linker is responsible for combining multiple object files generated by the compiler into a single executable program. If it encounters any issues in resolving these references, it will generate an error, indicating that it was unable to complete the linking phase successfully.

The linking process is distinct from compilation and execution, which is why errors resulting from these stages are classified differently. Linker errors specifically relate to the gathering and preparation of different program components into one final executable unit, distinguishing them from compiler errors (which occur during code parsing) and runtime errors (which occur when a program is executed). Logic errors, on the other hand, arise from flaws in the program logic that produce incorrect results during runtime, but these do not typically get flagged during the linking process.