Editing Library (computing) (section)

{{short description|Collection of resources used to develop a computer program}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Software library|library software}}
{{About|a software development concept|a repository of digital assets|Digital library}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020|cs1-dates=y}}
[[Image:Ogg vorbis libs and application dia.svg|thumb|277px|right|Illustration of an application which uses libvorbisfile to play an [[Ogg Vorbis]] file]]

In [[computing]], a '''library''' is a collection of [[System resource|resources]] that can be leveraged during [[software development]] to implement a [[computer program]]. Commonly, a library consists of [[executable]] code such as [[compiled]] [[function (computer science)|functions]] and [[Class (computer programming)|classes]], or a library can be a collection of [[source code]]. A resource library may contain data such as [[image]]s and [[Text string|text]].

A library can be used by multiple, independent consumers (programs and other libraries). This differs from resources defined in a program which can usually only be used by that program. When a consumer uses a library resource, it gains the value of the library without having to implement it itself. Libraries encourage [[software reuse]] in a [[Modular programming|modular]] fashion. Libraries can use other libraries resulting in a hierarchy of libraries in a program.

When writing code that uses a library, a [[programmer]] only needs to know how to use it {{endash}} not its internal details. For example, a program could use a library that [[Abstraction (computer science)|abstracts]] a complicated [[system call]] so that the programmer can use the system feature without spending time to learn the intricacies of the system function.