[Beowulf] "Code" vs. "Codes"

[Robert G. Brown]

On Mon, 31 Mar 2008, Geoff Galitz wrote:

I would have used this one:

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_code

which I think is perhaps more accurate.  "Computer code" has been a
synonym for "program" forever -- at least since the 60's or 70's -- and
not just in HPC.  I can't even remember a time when I didn't use it or
short versions such as code or codes.

Also note the term "codesmith" as a synonym for "programmer", although
alas Google shows that the terms has been eaten alive by marketing
droids.  Some of these terms are indeed used mostly by the 1337, but
hardly (as alleged by the references below) only the "scientific
computing community".  I'd say the general programming community, with
some perhaps more likely to use it than others.

    rgb

> You got me curious about this so I did a little looking around, and found
> the following:
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/00-database-info?db=foldoc> Free
> On-line Dictionary of Computing -
> <http://dictionary.reference.com/cite.html?qh=codes&ia=foldoc> Cite This
> Source -  <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/codes#sharethis#sharethis>
> Share This
>
> codes
> 1. Programs. This usage is common among scientific computing people who use
> <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/supercumputers> supercumputers for
> heavy-duty  <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/number%20crunching>
> number crunching.
> 2. Something to do with
> <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cryptography> cryptography.
> [ <http://dictionary.reference.com/go/http:/www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/> The
> Jargon File]
> (1994-10-28)
>
>
> The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
>
> <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/00-database-info?db=jargon> Jargon
> File -  <http://dictionary.reference.com/cite.html?qh=codes&ia=jargon> Cite
> This Source -
> <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/codes#sharethis#sharethis> Share
> This
>
> codes
>
> n. [scientific computing] Programs. This usage is common in people who hack
> supercomputers and heavy-duty
> <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/number-crunching> number-crunching,
> rare to unknown elsewhere (if you say "codes" to hackers outside scientific
> computing, their first association is likely to be "and cyphers").
>
>
> Jargon File 4.2.0
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
> Citation:
>
>
>
> codes. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Houghton
> Mifflin Company.  <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/codes>
> http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/codes (accessed: March 31, 2008).
>
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> It does not answer your question as to when or how it got started, but
> apparently it has been with us a while.
>
>
>
>
>
> -geoff
>
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: beowulf-bounces at beowulf.org [mailto:beowulf-bounces at beowulf.org] On
> Behalf Of Jon Forrest
> Sent: Montag, 31. März 2008 22:37
> To: beowulf at beowulf.org
> Subject: [Beowulf] "Code" vs. "Codes"
>
>
>
> Sometime long ago I first heard the term "codes"
>
> used in the same way I would use the term
>
> "programs". For example, someone might have
>
> said "The codes from Berkeley were very tricky".
>
>
>
> The first time I heard this, I thought maybe
>
> this term came from someone who wasn't a native
>
> speaker of English, who was trying to pluralize
>
> the term "code". This often happens with
>
> words like "information" and "documentation".
>
>
>
> But, now I regularly hear native speakers
>
> of English using "codes" to mean "programs",
>
> especially in the scientific realm, such as
>
> what many of us deal with regularly.
>
>
>
> Does anybody know how this usage first came about?
>
>
>
> Cordially,
>
>

-- 
Robert G. Brown                            Phone(cell): 1-919-280-8443
Duke University Physics Dept, Box 90305
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Web: http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb
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