What is programming?
There are countless definitions of computer programming, but I think it as.
"Programming tells computers how to solve problems."
Two keywords are important here:
You: Without a programmer (you), the computer is useless. It does what you tell it to do.
Problem Solving: Your Computer is a Tool. They are certainly complex tools, but they are neither cryptic nor magical. It exists to make your task easier.
Programming refers to the technical process of telling a computer what steps to perform to solve a problem. Programming can be thought of as a collaborative effort between humans and computers. Humans write instructions (code) for the computer to follow in a language that the computer can understand.
How does computer programming work?
Basically, programming tells the computer what to do. First, a programmer writes code (a series of letters, numbers, and other characters). A compiler then translates each line of code into a language that the computer can understand i.e. machine language. The computer then scans and executes the code to perform the task or series of tasks. Tasks include displaying images on web pages and changing fonts in sections of text.
Programming History
Below is a timeline of the history of programming languages. The first known programming language was complex machine code that was manually entered into early calculators.
- 1843: Ada Lovelace’s machine algorithm
- 1944-45: Plankalkül
- 1949: Assembly Language, Shortcode
- 1952: Autocode
- 1957: FORTRAN
- 1958: ALGOL (Algorithmic Language), LISP (List Processor)
- 1959: COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language)
- 1964: BASIC (Beginner’s All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code)
- 1970: PASCAL
- 1972: Smalltalk, C, SQL (SEQUEL at the time)
- 1980/81: Ada
- 1983: C++, Objective-C
- 1987: Perl
- 1990: Haskell
- 1991: Python, Visual Basic
- 1993: Ruby
- 1995: Java, PHP, JavaScript
- 2000: C#
- 2003: Scala, Groovy
- 2009: Go
- 2014: Swift
Most Common Programming Languages
Various programming languages allow programmers to write code that computers understand. According to Statista's research, the top five programming languages used by developers in June 2022 are:
- JavaScript, used by 65.36 %
- HTML/CSS, used by 55.08 %
- SQL, used by 49.43 %
- Python, used by 48.07 %
- TypeScript, used by 34.83 %
Programming languages fall into different categories. Here is a list of some categories.
Machine Language - A simple language of 0's and 1's (binary). High-level languages are compiled into machine language so that computers can execute the code.
Assembly language – A low-level language compiled by an assembler. Assemblers translate human code into machine code.
Procedural Languages - In this approach, a computer performs a series of steps before executing a program.
Scripting languages (such as Go and Julia) – These languages often don't need to be compiled, they need to be interpreted. Interpreted means that the interpreter reads the code and executes it instead of compiling it to machine code.
Functional Languages (such as JavaScript and PHP) - This works on the idea of building complex programs through collections of small functions.
Object Oriented Languages (such as Haskell and Scala) - This works on the idea that programs are built around collections of objects. (such as Java or Python)
Types of Programming Jobs
There are many types of programming jobs. This article focuses on only a few areas.
Web Developers
These types of programmers create applications for the Web. Use languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and Python. There are many online self-study courses available. You can also attend boot camps that require months of intensive learning. Salaries vary by location, but are generally well paid jobs.
Mobile Developer
These types of developers create applications for mobile devices. Programming languages include React Native, Swift, Flutter, Java, and Kotlin. There are many online self-study courses available. Salaries vary by location, but these are generally well-paid jobs.
Game Development
These programmers create custom games for mobile, desktop, and game consoles. Programming languages can include C++, C#, and Lua. These programmers work for both small independent game studios and large international companies such as Sony. There are many online self-study courses. Salaries vary by location, but these are generally well-paid jobs.
Computer Systems Engineer
This job A job application that combines computer science and engineering to help you tackle complex business. Programming languages include Python, Java, and C++. A typical educational path is a formal Bachelor's degree in Computer Science. Salary will generally be in the 6 figure range.
Skills Every Programmer Should Have
Professional programmers have a variety of responsibilities when it comes to writing computer programs. Here are some of the key skills required for programming.
- Writing Clean and Efficient Code
- Solving Problems
- Testing Applications
- Fixing Bugs in Code
- Good Communication and Listening Skills
- Team Spirit
