document source

The actual programming code that creates a Web page. Choosing this item from the "View" drop-down menu in a Web browser produces a page with a document's source code (in HTML, JavaScript, or whatever programming language was used). This is how Web authors can see how others have coded Web pages. To copy the contents of this file with Windows, press Control-A to select the contents, followed by Control-C to copy, and Control-V to paste it into another document. On the Mac, the source code is automatically saved into a text file on the desktop when you view a document's source.

Note: Many Web site authors put notes in the source to inform you which code is proprietary (and therefore should not be copied) and which code is available for copying (for that, though, you must request permission from and cite the author or programmer of the copied page).