codebased

Codebased is a term used in software development to describe software, processes, or approaches that are defined, generated, or driven primarily by source code rather than by graphical interfaces, configuration files, or models. In such contexts, the codebase itself serves as the primary artifact and source of truth for behavior, structure, and deployment. The term is often encountered in discussions about code generation, scaffolding, and infrastructure as code, where templates, deployment scripts, and data models are produced from or embedded in code.

Origin and usage: Codebased is an informal, code-first mindset rather than a formal standard. It contrasts with model-based or configuration-based approaches that describe functionality through abstractions or configuration tools. In practice, codebased workflows include code-based configuration, code-driven templates, and code-first APIs. Teams adopting codebased practices typically emphasize version control, reproducibility, and testability, aiming to keep application logic and configuration in a unified code repository.

Benefits and limitations: Proponents argue that codebased patterns improve reproducibility, automate repetitive tasks, and align all artifacts with the code base. Critics warn of potential complexity, steeper learning curves, and the risk of divergence between code and non-code representations when other models exist separately.

See also: code generation, infrastructure as code, declarative programming, scaffolding, model-driven development.