Codebase

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A repository of all source code and associated files necessary for creating and maintaining a software application
2. An organized collection of code and related resources required for software development and project management
3. A central storage location containing all program source files and resources needed to build and update a software project

Etymology: "Codebase" is a plain compound: "code" joined to "base," in the sense of the foundation or body on which something is built. The first element, "code," refers to a system of written instructions, and "base" supplies the sense of a whole collection that the rest of the software rests upon. Together they name the entire body of source code that makes up a program or project, rather than a single file or line. The compound follows the same pattern as older terms like "database" and "knowledge base," in which "base" means a store of material to draw from. Using "codebase" as a single unit lets programmers refer to everything in a project at once, which is why it is most often heard in discussions of maintaining, auditing or migrating a large program.

Synonyms: source code, software code, program code, code repository, project