<s>
Source-code	B-General_Concept
compatibility	I-General_Concept
(	O
source-compatible	B-General_Concept
)	O
means	O
that	O
a	O
program	O
can	O
run	O
on	O
computers	B-General_Concept
(	O
or	O
operating	B-General_Concept
systems	I-General_Concept
)	O
,	O
independently	O
of	O
binary-code	B-General_Concept
compatibility	I-General_Concept
and	O
that	O
the	O
source	O
code	O
is	O
needed	O
for	O
portability	B-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
source	O
code	O
must	O
be	O
compiled	B-Language
before	O
running	O
,	O
unless	O
the	O
computer	O
used	O
has	O
an	O
interpreter	B-Application
for	O
the	O
language	O
at	O
hand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
is	O
also	O
used	O
for	O
assembly	B-Language
language	I-Language
compatibility	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
source	O
is	O
a	O
human-readable	B-General_Concept
form	O
of	O
machine	B-Language
code	I-Language
that	O
must	O
be	O
converted	O
into	O
numerical	O
(	O
i.e.	O
</s>
<s>
executable	O
)	O
machine	B-Language
code	I-Language
by	O
an	O
assembler	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
different	O
from	O
binary-code	B-General_Concept
compatibility	I-General_Concept
,	O
where	O
no	O
recompilation	O
(	O
or	O
assembly	O
)	O
is	O
needed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Source	B-General_Concept
compatibility	I-General_Concept
is	O
a	O
major	O
issue	O
in	O
the	O
developing	O
of	O
computer	O
programs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
most	O
Unix	B-Application
systems	I-Application
are	O
source-compatible	B-General_Concept
,	O
as	O
long	O
as	O
one	O
uses	O
only	O
standard	O
libraries	B-Library
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
systems	O
are	O
source-compatible	B-General_Concept
across	O
one	O
major	O
family	O
(	O
the	O
Windows	B-Device
NT	I-Device
family	I-Device
,	O
from	O
NT	B-Device
3.1	I-Device
through	O
Windows	B-Application
11	I-Application
,	O
or	O
the	O
family	O
that	O
includes	O
Windows	B-Application
95	I-Application
,	O
Windows	B-Device
98	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Windows	B-Device
Me	I-Device
)	O
,	O
with	O
partial	O
source	B-General_Concept
compatibility	I-General_Concept
between	O
the	O
two	O
families	O
.	O
</s>
