Source code and object code refer to the "before"
and "after" versions of a computer program that is compiled
(see compiler) before it is ready to run in a computer. The source code
consists of the programming statements that are created by a programmer
with a text editor or a visual programming tool and then saved in a file.
For example, a programmer using the C language types in a desired sequence
of C language statements using a text editor and then saves them as a
named file. This file is said to contain the source code. It is now ready
to be compiled with a C compiler and the resulting output, the compiled
file, is often referred to as object code. The object code file contains
a sequence of instructions that the processor can understand but that
is difficult for a human to read or modify. For this reason and because
even debugged programs often need some later enhancement, the source code
is the most permanent form of the program.
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