What is source code? Easily explained

When creating websites or programs, the term "source code" or "source text" is often used. In this article we explain what a source code is.

Source code and source code - what is it?

The source code or source text is the readable text of a computer program or a website.
It is written in a programming language and then translated into machine language by the computer.
A compiler takes care of the translation. The text can then be output in machine language as a complete program or as a website.
Depending on the programming language used, the source code of a program looks different. With larger programs in particular, the source text can consist of several files.
A graphic representation of program parts can also be part of the source code and translated into machine language.
Even with small programs or websites, such code quickly becomes very large. The source code of the CHIP Online homepage, for example, has just under 4, 000 lines.
If you want to view a source code, read here how to make the source code of a website visible.

A conventional text editor or an integrated development environment such as Eclipse or Visual Basic can be used to write source code, i.e. to create computer programs.
To create a source code, a programming language must first be selected. Examples of common programming languages are Java, C, C ++, Basic or Fortran.
Each language uses its own syntax and commands.
With the help of a compiler, the respective language is translated into machine language and can be executed as a program.
We explain how you can learn programming and which language is suitable for beginners.

In the next article we will show you how to learn programming online for free.