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I have never heard or read anyone, beside physicists, say codes for software code. It doesn't even make sense. Why not? "A code" is a software package which so
by inejge 4y ago
I have never heard or read anyone, beside physicists, say codes for software code. It doesn't even make sense.
Why not? "A code" is a software package which solves some kind of problem computationally. Plural, codes. I'm sure it's been in use almost as long as the programmable computers. Here's[1] a link to an article from 1968 which uses the term in the singular ("The MENE Neutron Transport Code".)
[1] https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4819611-mene-neutron-transport-code https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4819611-mene-neutron-transport-c...
- bmitc 4y agoThere are plenty of words in English that have the same singular and plural form.
- mikebenfield 4y agoThat article appears to be written by a non-native English speaker. I don't think I've ever heard anyone refer to a software package as "a code."
- inejge 4y agoI don't think I've ever heard anyone refer to a software package as "a code." Then you probably haven't been around physicists, or read enough physics-related material. A non-scholarly reference which can't be easily checked online is George Dyson's "Project Orion," where Freeman Dyson (author's father) is quoted as mentioning this or that "code" as significant for the design of various Orion parts. (That should be a native enough English speaker.) The time-frame is late 1950s to early 1960s.
- mikebenfield 4y agoActually I have been around physicists. In my experience they use “codes” for any amount of code. If A wrote some software, B might say “I’d like to use your codes.” That reference you give doesn’t appear to be available online but I’ll take your word for it.