In a recursive function, when is the recursive call executed?

In a recursive function, the recursive call is executed during the execution of the function itself. Here are the steps:

1. The function is initially called with a certain input.
2. The function performs some operations.
3. Then, the function calls itself with a new input. This is the recursive call. The new input is typically a smaller or simpler version of the original input.
4. This process repeats, with the function calling itself over and over again, until it reaches a condition where it does not call itself. This is known as the base case or the termination condition.
5. Once the base case is reached, the function stops calling itself and starts returning values back up the chain of recursive calls.
6. Each return triggers the next step in each of the suspended function calls, until finally the original function call returns the final result.

So, the recursive call is executed as part of the function execution, after some operations and before the function ends. It's important to note that without a base case, the function would call itself indefinitely, leading to an infinite loop.