Abstract: Individual developers of source code in a shared programming system are enabled to continue to use non-essential format elements peculiar to the respective developer in their source code without any affect on the basic source code of the computer program being developed. The developer computer is connected via server computers to a central repository containing the basic shared program being developed. A server computer is provided for transmitting source code between the client computer of a developer and the central repository. There is an implementation for removing the non-essential formatting elements from source code transmitted from the client computer of the developer to the central repository, and for replacing the non-essential formatting elements into source code transmitted from the central repository to the developer's client computer.