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Source code

Collection of computer instructions written using some human-readable computer language

In computing, source code, or simply code or source, is human readable plain text that can eventually result in controlling the behavior of a computer. In order to control a computer, it must be processed by a computer program – either executed directly via an interpreter or translated into a more computer-consumable form such as via a compiler. Sometimes, code is compiled directly to machine code so that it can be run in the native language of the computer without further processing. Many modern environments, though, involve compiling to an intermediate representation such as bytecode that can either run via an interpreter or be compiled on-demand to machine code via just-in-time compilation. Source code is typically stored in source files. Beyond software, the term source file is used across other domains — such as documents, images, hardware design, and typography — to refer to the original, editable file from which a distribution format is derived.