Is "errored" correct usage?
Solution 1:
You can actually say "The program erred at line 44", but it's not very idiomatic. "Err" also occurs in the saying "To err is human, to forgive is divine".
If you're looking for the correct idiom, you could say "the program encountered an error at line 44" or "the program hit an error at line 44", etc.
Solution 2:
I'd say errored IS a valid word. It's the past tense of the verb "to error". I've seen (well, mostly heard) this word used to mean
- to operate incorrectly,
- to display an error message,
- to encounter an unexpected error,
- to halt unexpectedly
This is a relatively recent usage of the word (I can't find any authoritative samples of it) it might be considered too informal or slangy. Also, some people might not be sure what precisely you are trying to say. Thus, you should describe more fully what the program is doing.
The program encountered an error at line 44.
Wiktionary
Merriam-Webster (new words, slang)
The verb 'to error' has a different meaning than 'to err'. An "error" in a computer program isn't necessarily a mistake, but can be an exceptional circumstance. For example, if a program tried to open its configuration file, but you deleted it, the program might fail by displaying an error for this unexpected circumstance. You could say "the program errored." You can't say "the program erred" because the program isn't making a mistake here.
Solution 3:
I've seen it enough in computing contexts that I consider it acceptable there. I wouldn't use it in other domains myself, though, except possibly in a geeky tongue-in-cheek way (e.g., "my DVD player errored out on that scratched disk.")
Solution 4:
To use "errored" you would have to consider error a verb, but the dictionary doesn't. "Error" is a noun, used to mean mistake. You wouldn't say "The program mistaked at line 44."
Your usage "threw an error" is correct, because it uses error as a noun.