QuellcodeArchive

QuellcodeArchive is a web-based platform dedicated to the preservation, discovery, and distribution of source code and related software artifacts. Established in 2012 by a coalition of researchers and open-source advocates, the project aims to provide long-term accessibility and stability for software that may outlive its developers or grow beyond a single project.

The service hosts both public and private repositories containing source files, release artefacts, documentation, build scripts, and licensing metadata. Each repository is described with metadata such as project name, authors, licenses, programming languages, dependencies, and provenance information. It emphasizes archival-quality storage through redundant mirrors, checksums, and format migration to mitigate data loss and obsolescence.

QuellcodeArchive offers search and discovery tools across languages, licenses, authors, and keywords, along with browsing by topics or organizations. Users can upload code, attach release assets, and specify or update licensing terms. The platform supports data export in standard formats and provides an API for programmatic access to repositories and metadata. Where appropriate, it assigns persistent identifiers to notable releases to aid citation and preservation.

Governance is typically shared among contributing institutions, with community guidelines for submission, review, and licensing compliance. The project is designed to complement active development ecosystems by preserving historical versions and enabling researchers, educators, and developers to access legacy code, reproduce experiments, or study software evolution.