Source Code is the form of computer instruction set which is human readable basically written in an programming language. Source Code builds up a program. If you are a typical Windows user, probably you always used an executable file in the form exe or msi to install it – be it a free software or paid. If it is Open Source, you will also have the option to get the access to the Source Code as well.
Importance of Source Code
We previously said that, Open Source Private Cloud Softwares Are Opening More Opportunities. Why we said so ? If you are using WordPress, you have seen that, Source Code are very easily available. In fact the whole LAMP software package is fully open source.
If you are using self hosted WordPress, you probably have edited the PHP codes too – either to fix a problem or to customize it some how. You probably have no knowledge about these things, you asked at WordPress forum how to do it. Some others happily answered along with a piece of the PHP codes that or those needed to be modified. The original one is the Source Code.
Take that, the plugin I developed you asked to modify it to others in WordPress forum. So others simply saw the Source Code and copy pasted after modifying it. Its my intellectual property but how others are modifying its Source Code then ? Will you say, from your Windows OS derived knowledge that WordPress is a Hacking forum ? No. Because WordPress is Open Source and all Source Code are open. All plugins and themes are Open Source too and likewise Source Code is or are available. Without this Source Code it is not possible for others to modify it to huge extent.
Source Code, Open Source and Licensing
So, if we want to make the Source Code of a program free to all, we have to attach some License along with it. Source Code itself has nothing to do with it. Its for legal purpose. Open Source Softwares, whose Source Code is / are available, usually follows GPL, GNU or Apache.