source code (sôrs) Code written by a programmer in a high-level language and readable by people but not computers. Source code must be converted to object code or machine language by a compiler before a computer can read or execute the program. Compare object code. |
language, programming
(Or "source", or rarely "source language") The form in which a computer program is written by the programmer. Source code is written in some formal programming language which can be compiled automatically into object code or machine code or executed by an interpreter.
(1995-01-05)