Top
Open Source Licensing Resources

For clients: LOGIN to my database of open source licensing information.

 

 

 

  • The Open Source Alternative: Understanding Risks and Leveraging Opportunities
    The Open Source Alternative: Understanding Risks and Leveraging Opportunities
    by Heather J. Meeker
  • A Primer on Intellectual Property Licensing
    A Primer on Intellectual Property Licensing
    by Heather Meeker
  • The Next Wave of Technologies: Opportunities in Chaos
    The Next Wave of Technologies: Opportunities in Chaos
    by Phil Simon
Powered by Squarespace

Open Source FAQ > Basic open source software licensing questions > What is source code?

Search the FAQ for entries containing:

Source code is the text file that a computer programmer uses to write a program.  Source code files are processed through a program called a "compiler," which creates object code or binaries -- the machine language files that actually run on your computer.   Most programming languages are written this way, including FORTRAN, C, C++ and Java.  Some programs are not executed in object code; they are executed by interpreters or in markup languages where the source code is essentially executed as is.  These include HTML, PERL, and most BASIC.

Last updated on November 7, 2009 by Heather Meeker