Abnormal end
An ABEND (or abnormal end or abend) is an abnormal termination of software, a Crash or lossage.
This usage derives from an error message on the IBM System/360. It is used jokingly by hackers but seriously mainly by code grinders. Usually capitalised, but may appear as "abend".
Hackers will try to persuade you that ABEND is called "abend" because it is what system operators do to the computer late on Friday when they want to call it a day, and hence is from the German abend meaning "evening".
The Novell NetWare network operating system was notorious for ABEND error messages, such that entire communities of administrators sprung up around the Internet, such as abend.org.
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This article was originally based on material from the Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, which is licensed under the GFDL.
Categories: Software