but it is not directly executable by the computer. Source code must be converted into machine language by compilers or assemblers ahead of time or by interpreters at the time the program is run.

It's "the coolest code I've ever written," the Microsoft co-founder says.

Most software follows a 3-step process to build from source: ./configure && make && make install. The configure script checks ...

If you are a developer or a computer geek, it’s worth a look. If you’re interested in learning more about Bill Gates before Microsoft, read his autobiography, Source Code: My Beginnings.

Gates and his Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, used a computer in Harvard's lab to compose what he calls the 'coolest code I've written.' It's now public for the first time.

Erin mentions in her article that just looking at the code is the danger zone for competitors. Even if other software companies did look at the source code and implement their own improvements ...