Managed code is an application that requires additional software installed in the same machine for execution. For example, .NET requires the Common Language Runtime (CLR) engine, which performs just-in-time conversion from an intermediate language to machine code. Java requires a Java interpreter that converts the intermediate bytecode language to machine code.
Many commercial programs use some amount of managed code, because today's computers are fast enough to handle the necessary conversion without delay. See
.NET framework and
Java.
A DBMS may include a runtime engine for its programming language; for example, Oracle includes a Java interpreter. Contrast with
unmanaged code. See
runtime engine and
JIT compilation.