Source code

Source code is human-readable instructions expressed in a programming language before compilation or interpretation. It defines a program’s operations and can be translated or executed by software tools.

Compiler: A compiler translates source code into another representation, often machine code or bytecode. It converts source code ahead of execution, commonly producing a standalone program.
Programming language: A formal language used to express instructions and computations for computers. Source code is written in a programming language’s syntax and semantics.
Version control: A system for recording and managing changes to files over time. It tracks edits to source code and supports collaboration among developers.
Machine code: Instructions encoded in a form directly executable by a processor. It is a low-level executable form often produced by compiling source code.
Open-source software: Software distributed under terms that grant access to its source code and authorize specified uses or modifications. Its defining practices make source code available under an open-source license.
Interpreter: An interpreter executes a program by processing its instructions at runtime. Unlike ahead-of-time compilation, interpretation can execute source code directly as it is processed.
Syntax (programming languages): The rules that determine which sequences of symbols are valid in a programming language. Syntax governs the forms source code may take.
Git: A distributed version-control system for tracking changes in files and coordinating software development. Git is widely used to manage source-code history and collaboration.
Bytecode: An instruction set designed for execution by a virtual machine or runtime environment. Compilers often translate source code into this intermediate executable form.
Proprietary software: Software whose use, modification, or distribution is restricted by its owner’s licensing terms. Its source code is commonly withheld or available only under limited conditions.

Linked from 23 pages