[1][2] It is named for the Rosetta Stone, which has the same text inscribed on it in three languages, and thus allowed Egyptian hieroglyphs to be deciphered for the first time.

[4] The Rosetta Code web repository illustrates how desired functionality is implemented very differently in various programming paradigms,[5][6] and how "the same" task is accomplished in different programming languages.

[9] The Rosetta Code site is organized as a browsable cross-section of tasks (specific programming problems or considerations) and computer programming languages.

[2] A task's page displays visitor-contributed solutions in various computer languages, allowing a viewer to compare each language's approach to the task's stated problem.

Some of the computer programming languages found on Rosetta Code (which have Wikipedia descriptions) include: [10] A complete list of the computer programming languages that have examples (entries/solutions to the Rosetta Code tasks) is available.