Google Launches Code Search for Script Kiddies
After watching sites like Koders and Krugle grab some headlines for code search, Google has rolled its own code-specific engine, which is now available as a beta from Google Labs. Code Search is the latest in Google's efforts to embrace the developer community and give it useful tools. The search engine launched a repository for developer projects earlier this year. Now Google is lending its trusted brand to organizing a segment of online data that has traditionally been distributed across the Web. The new search tool includes ZIP files as well as CVS repositories, and offers more precise special character searching. Unfortunately, the code search engine (still at the early beta stage) has a few problems, chief among which is that it doesn't give the searcher any context for what it finds. His recommendation: Google needs to include code from tutorials and code snippet Web sites, such as this one, and tell searchers which sites are being indexed, perhaps even provide a quality score for each. Otherwise, searchers could accidentally copy bogus code indexed in the engine. "Code snippet databases are much more useful," he said, noting that much of the code returned is from open-source projects that are in continual development. "It's like a textbook. [Developers] go for primary sources, not for what anybody will tell them." Chris did a sample search for "XMLHttpRequest" and found that Google, unlike Krugle or Koders, returned mostly JavaScript. However, a search for "@" returned 11,300,000 e-mail addresses. (Update: Ken Krugler says Krugle returns mostly javascript results too.) Google Code Search could also prove to be a tool for malware writers to distribute their code, he warned. A representative from Google said Code Search was a labs project and that improvements were coming. "Code that is contained in the body of a web page (such as a tutorial site) can generally be found in web search. Its reasonable to assert Commenters in the Google Group dedicated to Code Search said the tool looks very useful, but requested a few improvements. One commenter noted that ASP isn't a language, and that the search should include Visual Basic and VBScript. Another commenter requested that ColdFusion be added to the index. According to Google's FAQ, Google goes to some lengths to determine what license(s) pertain to indexed code, but "understanding the legal requirements to reuse a piece of code is your responsibility." |
Comments (10)
Script Kiddies? Look up the definition of that term! This has nothing to do with script kiddies!!
Posted by John | October 5, 2006 1:15 PM
Dear Sally McBunchy Briefs: Stop yelling. Script kiddies are inexperienced wouldbe coders who borrow liberally from others without understanding what the code really does. You can do the same thing with Code Search since Google makes no judgement on the quality of the code. The experienced developers I've talked to said they wouldn't use a code search engine until it was as reliable as tutorials or snippet DBs. Hence, the headline.
Posted by Steve Bryant | October 5, 2006 1:24 PM
Dear Steve: Any experienced developer knows that reinventing the wheel is not wise, considering some code libraries, eg. a tcp/ip stack, take many man-years of development.
Posted by Dave | October 5, 2006 5:39 PM
I'm a script kiddie. I'm also a cheapskate. I've paid for scripts on the script engines, and frankly, it's a crap shoot as to whether you'll be able to get them to work on your system or not. Often, you only get support from others who might try using the script on a seldom-traveled forum. Can this be any worse? Tie it in with google groups and you've got a great combination. Thanks Google for not being evil...
Posted by Chris | October 5, 2006 5:43 PM
Steve, "...as reliable as tutorials or snippet..." are you fricking kidding here or are you actually serious? 99.9% of the tutorials on the net are plain junk bull crap written by exactly those script kiddies you criticize. For example do a regular web search for "PHP Tutorial" and I swear to God that the first 16 pages of results are nothing but sh;t. For one thing I wouldn't use this thing because authoritative documentation exists for every language out there, and for those languages that I use that have poor online documentation (e.g. assembler) I would use one of my books. But I can certainly see how this might be useful for finding simple misc routines in a specific language. For example, if I needed a routine that syncs with the vertical retrace I think this tool would be a very handy resource. For more complex algorithms where validity could not be trivially determined I would have my doubts however. In any case trusting online tutorials and snippet databases you are trusting a bunch of 13 year old middle school kids with just enough knowledge to be dangerous. Seriously.
Posted by Robert | October 6, 2006 1:42 AM
Steve Bryant is typical of journalists, trying to attract reads with misleading headlines. "Script kiddies" !!! wtf... Getting bored with all this and certainly not coming here again with misleading headlines as its pointless. Funny thing is when there is a real headline that requires script kiddies what is mr bryant gonna do? maybe Pete Professional IT coder "REAL script kiddies use google????
Posted by Pete "mash" Morgan | October 6, 2006 8:06 AM
I believe Script Kiddies is the right term to use in this case, anyone who didn't follow a programming course and/or just learns by example and mistakes of others... etc. copying code and try to use it until it really works. Anyways most of programmers have been at the beginner stage and script kiddy state before in their lives. Why complain against use of this term? Do you feel addressed as a script kiddy? This beta google service is probably more attractive for script kiddies than by professional coders, for now at least. hehe ;) KoderX
Posted by KoderX | October 7, 2006 5:01 AM
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Posted by cimaxcim | February 17, 2007 8:06 PM
I am using the google add to my site unfortunately that code has been over lap. so i want to the that script to my site so please help me to get that code . to my site
Posted by asish | February 19, 2007 12:51 AM
As a so called script kiddie. I admit it when I can't find a code or program that does what I want, I make it. I think Yahoo! has got a big head start by teaming with Krugle.
Posted by shawn | March 7, 2007 2:37 PM