Hard coding: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:02, 17 June 2023

Revision as of 16:18, 17 September 2023

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{{More citations needed|date=May 2021}}

'''Hard coding''' (also '''hard-coding''' or '''hardcoding''') is the software development practice of embedding data directly into the [[source code]] of a [[computer program|program]] or other executable object, as opposed to obtaining the data from external sources or generating it at [[Run time (program lifecycle phase)|runtime]]. Hard-coded data typically can only be modified by editing the source code and [[Compiling|recompiling]] the executable, although it can be changed in [[Volatile memory|memory]] or on disk using a [[debugger]] or [[hex editor]]. Data that are hard-coded is best for unchanging pieces of information, such as [[physical constant|physical constants]], [[Version number|version numbers]] and static text elements. [[Softcoding|Softcoded data]], on the other hand, encode arbitrary information through [[user input]], [[text files]], [[INI file]]s, HTTP server responses, configuration files, preprocessor macros, external constants, databases, [[command-line argumentsargument]]s, and are determined at runtime.

==Overview==

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The term "hard-coded" was initially used as an analogy to hardwiring circuits - and was meant to convey the inflexibility which results from its usage within software design and implementation.

In the context of run-time extensible [[collaborative development environment]]s such as [[Multi-user dungeon|MUD]]s, '''hardcoding''' also refers to developing the core engine of the system responsible for low-level tasks and executing [[Scripting language|scripts]], as opposed to '''softcoding''' which is developing the high-level scripts that get interpreted by the system at [[Execution (computing)|runtime]], with values from external sources, such as [[text files]], [[INI file]]s, preprocessor [[Macro (computer science)|macro]]s, external constants, [[database]]s, [[command-line argument]] argumentss, [[HTTP]] [[Server (computing)|server]] responses, [[configuration file]]s, and [[user input]]. In this case, the term is not pejorative and refers to general development, rather than specifically embedding output data.

== Hardcoding and backdoors ==