In computer programming, the word code refers to instructions to a computer in a programming language. In this usage, the noun "code" typically stands for source code, and the verb "to code" means to write source code, to program. This usage may have originated when the first symbolic languages were developed and were punched onto cards as "codes". Wikibooks has more about this subject: Computer programming Computer programming (often simply programming) is the craft of implementing one or more interrelated abstract algorithms using a particular programming language to produce a concrete computer program. ... An instruction is a form of communicated information that is both command and explanation for how an action, behavior, method, or task is to be begun, completed, conducted, or executed. ... A programming language or computer language is a standardized communication technique for expressing instructions to a computer. ... Source code (commonly just source or code) is any series of statements written in some human-readable computer programming language. ...

Engineers often use the word "code" to mean a single program. They might say "I wrote a code" or "I have two codes". No software engineer or computer scientist would say that. They would say "I wrote some code" or "I have two programs". Since English allows virtually any word to be used as a verb, a programmer, or coder might also say I coded a program; but, since a code can stand for multiple concepts, that coder might say I hard-coded it right into the program, as opposed to the metaprogramming model, which might allow multiple re-uses of the same piece of code to accomplish multiple goals. Thus, the coder might instead soft-code a concept, which ensures that it will have a longer lifespan than a hard-coded concept. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Software engineering (SE) is the profession concerned with specifying, designing, developing and maintaining software applications by applying technologies and practices from computer science, project management, and other fields. ... Computer science (informally: CS or compsci) is, in its most general sense, the study of computation and information processing, both in hardware and in software. ... In computing, a programmer is someone who does computer programming and develops computer software. ... For other uses, see Programmer (disambiguation). ... Metaprogramming is the writing of programs that write or manipulate other programs (or themselves) as their data or that do part of the work that is otherwise done at runtime during compile time. ... A concept is an abstract, universal idea, notion or entity that serves to designate a category or class of entities, events or relations. ... In demography, life expectancy is a statistical measure of the average, or mathematical expected value, of the remaining lifetime of an individual in the given group. ...

Mechanical engineers use a "Numerical Control Code" (NC Code), such as G-code, to tell CNC machines how to cut raw material into the desired shape. G code is one of many programming languages. G Code is a scheme to assist in the recording of television programs on video recorders. ... A CNC Turning Center The abbreviation CNC stands for Computer(ized) Numerical(ly) Control(led), and refers specifically to the computer control of machine tools for the purpose of (repeatedly) manufacturing complex parts in metal as well as other materials, using a program written in a notation conforming to the... A programming language or computer language is a standardized communication technique for expressing instructions to a computer. ...

See also

• Code injection
• Recoder