How to work with a freelancer?

Question

Freelance

All the time when you contact freelancers, they ask for data from the server where your sources are uploaded. But any freelancer can at the same time copy your entire source code and use it at home, or merge it into the Internet. For example, I ordered the development of my own web application, they made it, put it on the server, it works. You need to add something, turned to a freelancer, while you don’t want to burn the entire source code. If you give access to only one specific folder where you only need to work there, freelancers ask for access to the entire source code, the same thing if you send one file to him, in which you need to make edits. Maybe some kind of contract?

Answer 1

If you have invested many millions of money in the development of the site, or the leak of source codes can jeopardize the performance of the site, then draw up contracts. Otherwise, it is a strange paranoia and nothing more.

Answer 2

If you have a mega-secret source code, then it brings you good money. If you have money and are afraid to show the code to just anyone, hire a full-time programmer. I have logic)
Or work through freelance exchanges. Before choosing an artist, look at reviews about him.
Hmm, you need to make changes to one file, but consider that a file on its own doesn't work most of the time, and is tightly coupled to other files. And in order to make changes to one file, you may need access to other files (after all, telepathy has not yet been invented).

Answer 3

Here (+ in the comments) everything is there.
But in general, these thoughts are just from great anxiety, here you can advise to be like a psychologist or at least watch a few videos of Labkovsky - it helps a lot.
In 99% of cases, a freelancer does not give a damn about your brilliant ideas, source codes, and whatever else. In 99% of cases, a freelancer has no motivation to give a shit to his client if he pays adequately and on time and fairly.
Why so categorically? Yes, because freelancers do not participate in any truly serious business. In Yandex, it was necessary to correct the layout and they decided to turn to freelancing, yeah. :)

Answer 4

It is necessary to initially make a modular kernel architecture so that it would be possible to give only a description of the interface for connecting a new module to a common system and test / verification data to check its performance.
The entire code of the project does not need to be fired by freelancers.