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What does "virtual machine" mean in programming?
virtual machine is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.
Definition
A software emulation of a physical computer that runs on top of a host machine. Virtual machines provide full isolation and can run different operating systems. Containers are lighter-weight alternatives to VMs.
Example
"Spin up a virtual machine in the cloud to test the installation script."
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