The World of Source Code: Understanding How Computers Make Sense of It
Source code is the actual text document that a programmer creates, typing it up with letters, numbers, and symbols. If you were to give someone this source code on their computer, they would not see anything familiar, such as an email or a web browser, but rather just a plain text document. The computer has to have a way of interpreting this source code and making something powerful run from it.
The two main ways that computers interpret source code are through either an interpreter or a compiler. Every internet browser works with an interpreter, which means that JavaScript is run through an interpreter to make sense. This means that the programmer does not need to compile their code before running it, as the computer itself has the technology to interpret and execute the code.
On the other hand, languages like C++ are used with a compiler. Compilers do all of their work on the programmer's end, so they send out their package or product and it is already compiled that can already run on a machine. This is unlike an interpreter, where the computer itself does all of its work to interpret and execute the code.
There are arguments about which approach is better, with some people believing that compiling languages are better than interpreting languages, while others believe that the opposite is true. In reality, it's a case-by-case basis, as different programming languages excel in different areas. For example, compiled languages like C++ may be faster and more efficient, but they also require more manual memory management.
At Free Code Camp, we focus on interpreter-based languages like JavaScript. This approach allows for rapid development and prototyping, as well as ease of maintenance and collaboration. However, it's worth noting that this approach can also lead to slower execution times compared to compiled languages.
Open Source: The Power of Community-Driven Development
In addition to the difference between interpreting and compiling source code, there is another important concept in programming: open source. Open source refers to software or projects that are openly available for anyone to view and modify. This means that all documentation and source code are accessible and can be contributed to by others.
One of the most significant benefits of open source is that it allows for rapid growth and improvement through community-driven development. When you see how a project has been improved upon by others, you're more likely to try out those changes yourself. This creates a feedback loop where projects improve at an exponential rate, leading to faster innovation and adoption.
The spirit of open source also emphasizes the importance of giving back to the community that has contributed to your own work. If you take someone else's code and improve it for yourself, but don't share those improvements with others, it can be seen as disingenuous or even unfair. The open source ethos encourages developers to share their knowledge and skills with others, creating a culture of mutual support and collaboration.
This philosophy is reflected in how Free Code Camp operates. As an open source organization, we invite our users to contribute to our projects by submitting pull requests or sharing improvements with us. We believe that this approach not only fosters community growth but also drives innovation and quality in our projects.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhi in this video we are going to talk a little bit about source code uh what source code is where you'll see it and how the computer makes sense of it source code itself is the actual text document that a programmer creates they type it up it's letters it's numbers it's symbols if you give that to somebody and have them look at that on their computer that's not going to run their email that's not going to be a web browser that's just a text document really um now the computer has to have a way of interpreting that and making something really powerful run from it there are two main ways this is done either an interpreter or a compiler now every internet browser that works has an interpreter so JavaScript is run through an interpreter to make sense other languages like C++ are used with a compiler now that's unlike an interpreter the compiler does all of its work on the programers end so they send out their package their their product and it's already been comp pile that can already run on a machine whereas JavaScript and interpreter languages you just write the JavaScript you don't compile it or anything and the computer itself the browser has a technology to interpret that and make something happen there now there are arguments this way in that everybody has an opinion about which is better and really it's a case-by casee basis compiling languages and interpreting languages are better at different things uh as you know free code camp we do focus on interpreter language of JavaScript I also want to talk a little bit about what open source means just because it kind of fits in the language here source code open source free code Camp is open source as are a lot of really awesome projects what open source means is that all of their documentation all of their source code is open and accessible uh now you may be thinking okay so what but what's awesome about that is if you have something you want to change about free code camper some way you think it could be improved write that Improvement and send it to us at free Cod camp and maybe get it implemented it's a great way to see programs grow and websites and products grow in a really really strong and fast way because there are so many people constantly seeing it and seeing how it can be improved the one thing that is kind of an unspoken rule with open source is if you're going to take something and improve it for yourself even if it's a piece of software that you can download generally you want to give that back to the community uh give that Improvement to everyone else so that they can use it toohi in this video we are going to talk a little bit about source code uh what source code is where you'll see it and how the computer makes sense of it source code itself is the actual text document that a programmer creates they type it up it's letters it's numbers it's symbols if you give that to somebody and have them look at that on their computer that's not going to run their email that's not going to be a web browser that's just a text document really um now the computer has to have a way of interpreting that and making something really powerful run from it there are two main ways this is done either an interpreter or a compiler now every internet browser that works has an interpreter so JavaScript is run through an interpreter to make sense other languages like C++ are used with a compiler now that's unlike an interpreter the compiler does all of its work on the programers end so they send out their package their their product and it's already been comp pile that can already run on a machine whereas JavaScript and interpreter languages you just write the JavaScript you don't compile it or anything and the computer itself the browser has a technology to interpret that and make something happen there now there are arguments this way in that everybody has an opinion about which is better and really it's a case-by casee basis compiling languages and interpreting languages are better at different things uh as you know free code camp we do focus on interpreter language of JavaScript I also want to talk a little bit about what open source means just because it kind of fits in the language here source code open source free code Camp is open source as are a lot of really awesome projects what open source means is that all of their documentation all of their source code is open and accessible uh now you may be thinking okay so what but what's awesome about that is if you have something you want to change about free code camper some way you think it could be improved write that Improvement and send it to us at free Cod camp and maybe get it implemented it's a great way to see programs grow and websites and products grow in a really really strong and fast way because there are so many people constantly seeing it and seeing how it can be improved the one thing that is kind of an unspoken rule with open source is if you're going to take something and improve it for yourself even if it's a piece of software that you can download generally you want to give that back to the community uh give that Improvement to everyone else so that they can use it too\n"
