What is source code?

What is source code?

• A. A program in a high-level language before being compiled.
• B. The machine code produced after compilation.
• C. The binary executable file on disk.
• D. The documentation comments within code.

Answer: (A)

Source code is the human-readable set of instructions a programmer writes in a programming language. It’s the text version of the program, created before translation into something a computer can execute. In compiled languages, a compiler turns this source into machine code; in interpreted languages, an interpreter runs the source directly. It isn’t the machine code produced after compilation, it isn’t the executable binary on disk, and it isn’t merely documentation comments. This description fits because it captures the actual written form a programmer edits and before any translation or execution takes place.

Source code is the human-readable set of instructions a programmer writes in a programming language. It’s the text version of the program, created before translation into something a computer can execute. In compiled languages, a compiler turns this source into machine code; in interpreted languages, an interpreter runs the source directly. It isn’t the machine code produced after compilation, it isn’t the executable binary on disk, and it isn’t merely documentation comments. This description fits because it captures the actual written form a programmer edits and before any translation or execution takes place.