Source-code compatibility: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:24, 15 March 2013

Revision as of 10:00, 14 November 2013

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{{Unreferenced|date=March 2007}}

In'''Source [[computing]],compatibility''' means that a program can run on [[central processing unit|computer]]s that canare run the samenot [[sourcebinary codecompatible]] intendedand tothat bethe [[compiler|compiledsource code]] and run on another computer is saidneeded tofor be '''source-compatible'''[[portability]].

The source code must be [[compiler|compiled]] before running, unless the computers can work as [[Interpreter (computing)|interpreters]] (this is the case of a few [[bytecode]] processors). Confusingly, sometimes the term is used for [[assembly language]] compatibility, where the source is already [[human-readable]] [[machine code]] but must be converted to executable code by an [[Assembly language#Assembler|assembler]]. This is different from [[binary code compatibility]], where no recompilation is needed.

The source code must be [[compiler|compiled]] before running, unless the computers can work as

[[Interpreter (computing)|interpreters]] (this is the case of a few [[bytecode]] processors). Confusingly, sometimes the term is used for [[assembly language]] compatibility, where the source is already [[human-readable]] [[machine code]] but must be converted to executable code by an [[Assembly language#Assembler|assembler]]. This is different from [[binary code compatibility]], where no recompilation is needed.

Source-compatibility is a major issue in the developing of computer programs. For example, most [[Unix]] systems are source compatible, as long as one uses only standard [[library|libraries]]. [[Microsoft Windows]] systems are source compatible across one major family (NT, 2000, XP or 95, 98, ME), with partial source compatibility between the two families.

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[[Category:Backward compatibility]]

[[Category:Source code]]

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