Meaning – An alarm is a distinctly audible sound or visual alert that is used to notify you that something requires your attention. In the world of computers, an alarm also signifies a error in a piece of code, or in the OS platform. Sometimes, even physical components are fit with alarms to alert you when something is wrong with them.
These alarms must be taken very seriously, as they are usually designed to sound off when the condition is absolutely critical, and if it is aggravated further, the damage may be irreparable.
Some programmers use alarms to alert them when their code is about complete the compiling stage. Large codes require hours to compile at times, and in such cases, rather than spending time staring at the computer screen, the programmer can take some much needed rest, and set an alarm in order to wake up in time to execute the program, or move ahead with the assignment.
Example of usage – “The Programmer woke up just as the code completed its compilation, thanks to the alarm he had set to help him with the same”.