Source code is primarily used as input to the process that produces an executable program (i.e., it is compiled or interpreted). It is also used as a method of communicating algorithms between people (e.g., code snippets in books).^[4]

Programmers often find it helpful to review existing source code to learn about programming techniques.^[4] The sharing of source code between developers is frequently cited as a contributing factor to the maturation of their programming skills.^[4] Some people consider source code an expressive artistic medium.^[5]

Porting software to other computer platforms is usually prohibitively difficult without source code. Without the source code for a particular piece of software, portability is generally computationally expensive.^{[citation needed]} Possible porting options include binary translation and emulation of the original platform.

Decompilation of an executable program can be used to generate source code, either in assembly code or in a high level language.

Programmers frequently adapt source code from one piece of software to use in other projects, a concept known as software reusability.