Google Code Search: Google's Newest Venture

As Google continues to create and test new products for thousands of Google fans across the globe, the most recent development can be found with Google Code Search. Google Code Search allows web developers to search code line by line; the usefulness of the application may prove worthwhile over time for many Google users and developers looking for an easy way to find and research programming directories online.

Google Code Search is very similar in structure to Krugle and Koders, two companies that have already taken the lead on indexing code. Finding specific line-by-line code was a tedious task before Krugle and Koders made their way onto the scene; developers and programmers often had to consult books, indexes, or their own self-created programs to find specific information. Referencing indexes can take hours, and often can be outsourced or managed by assistants. Repositories for specific projects are often created by a company's own technical departments, allowing developers and researchers an easy way to find what they were looking for. Manually creating an index is no longer necessary, as programmers are making use of electronic indexes in a variety of ways.

As Google continues to strive in creating search engines for just about everything, honing in on developer code is a new opportunity for the search site; it may serve as an effective reference tool for new and beginning developers, allowing for easier information retrieval and a simple interface. The downside of Google Code Search for developers is that only code available online and that has been indexed is accessible; not all code may be accessible for 'serious' developers and in-depth researchers. Still, the searches can be performed to search by line, programming language, and license.

Upon Google Code Search's release, many developers frowned upon the potential pitfalls of the application; issues arose on whether confidential databases, usernames, passwords, and confidential code could be potential grounds for decreased security. The security of the directories and data available has yet to be verified; as the application grows in use, any alerts and trends will likely become apparent. Since the search site generally crawls the web for content regardless of its origin, any 'unsecure' sites and information may indeed be picked up by the engine.

Google has been focusing on web and technical developments this past year with additional applications such as Google Maps, Google Gadgets, Google AJAX Search, and Google Web Toolkit making their public appearances. By letting developers play with each API (application programming interface) during the beta testing stage, Google works hard on finding successes, bugs, and other problems fast in a collaborative effort.