Source Code: What It Is, Types, and Open Source
Source code refers to the instructions developers write to build software, websites and other programs. They are written using languages like Python, JavaScript, Java or C++, and instruct the computers to perform the tasks. Source code can also be used to describe how the software was built, changed and maintained over time.
In this article, we explain what source code is, how it is used, and how it differs from open-source software.
What Is Source Code?
In computer science, source code refers to the set of text lines that define, in a specific programming language, the steps the computer must follow for the correct execution of a particular program. In other words, it consists of the instructions that the original software programmer wrote so that they could be transmitted to a computer system and processed accurately and promptly.
Source code is usually visible during certain software operations, but its instructions will be incomprehensible except to someone who understands the specific language in which it was programmed. This principle also applies to web pages and other types of software elements programmed in web languages (such as HTML or JavaScript) and then executed or interpreted by the internet browser window.
Common Types Of Source Code
| Type | What Is It Used For | Example |
| Web source code | Creating websites and web applications | HTML, CSS, JavaScript |
| Application source code | Building desktop and mobile applications | Python, Java, C# |
| System source code | Developing operating systems and system software | C, C++, Rust |
| Open-source code | Software whose source code is available under an open-source licence | Linux |
How Is Source Code Used?
The area of computer science dedicated to creating this source code is software engineering, which focuses on developing computer programs. This creativity is also protected by copyright law, meaning that the source code is the exclusive work and creation of its programmers, unalterable and unreproducible by third parties, just like the content of a literary work.
What Is Open Source?
Some programmes are not governed by copyright laws regarding their source code, allowing users to modify, edit, and share it relatively freely, thus forming a kind of specialised user community. These programmes are called “open source” because anyone can modify their core instructions and create their own versions of the original programme, known as “distributions”. Examples of such software include Linux and other open-source operating systems and programs.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Is Source Code Used For?
Developers use source code to create different types of web applications, websites, smartphone applications, and operational software.
2. What Is the Difference Between Source Code and Open Source Software?
Source code is the readable code that is used to program applications. ‘Open source’ is a term used to describe an application whose source code is openly available and is shared under a licence that allows users the rights to use, modify and share according to the licence terms.
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