The Overflow is an error condition that occurs in computing when the result of an arithmetic operation is a number that is too large to be stored in the memory space or variable type allocated for it. Every variable type in programming (like a 16-bit integer or a 32-bit floating-point number) has a finite range of values it can represent. If a calculation produces a value that exceeds the maximum limit of this range, an overflow occurs.
For example, a signed 16-bit integer can hold values up to 32,767. If you have a variable holding the value 32,767 and you try to add 1 to it, the result cannot be stored correctly. What happens next depends on the system; often, the value will "wrap around" to the most negative number (-32,768), leading to highly unexpected and incorrect program behavior. A related term is "buffer overflow," which is a common security vulnerability. This happens when a program tries to write data beyond the boundaries of a fixed-length memory buffer, potentially overwriting adjacent memory which could contain other data or executable code.
In the context of instrument control, a programmer must be aware of potential overflows when processing measurement data. If a series of readings are being summed, the variable holding the sum must be large enough to accommodate the final result without