Derivative code

Not to be confused with Derivative work or Automatic differentiation.

Derivative code or Chameleon code is source code which has been derived entirely from one or more other machine readable file formats. If recursive transcompiling is used in the development process, some code will survive all the way through the pipeline from beginning to end, and then back to the beginning again.

This code is, by definition, derivative code. The following procedure can be used to easily test if any source code is derivative code or not.

  1. Delete the code in question
  2. Build (or compile) the project

If the build process simply replaces the source code which has been deleted, it is (obviously) code which has been derived from something else and is therefore, by definition, derivative code.

If the build process fails, and a human needs to re-create the deleted code by hand, this is again, by definition, hand code.

The transcompilers and other tools which create derivative code, are usually themselves either in part, or entirely hand code.

References


Stub icon

This computer science article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.