A new web site, called eBay Community Codebase, has been launched by eBay with the aim of helping developers to create applications for the auction site and its PayPal online payment service. The site will provide access to source code for various eBay and PayPal tools and will make it easy for developers to collaborate on projects.

"We are dipping our toe, so to speak, in the pond of the open-source world," said Greg Isaacs, director of eBay's Developer Program.
Some sample applications have already been posted, including one that helps people to keep track of eBay auctions through their Firefox browser.