Interested in Learning How To Program in 2022?
Have you thought of learning programming in 2022? The concept may be intimidating. Computer code has the connotation of a technical language that is easy for computers to understand but difficult for humans. Learning how to program can be intimidating, in fact, if you try to jump into it headfirst with no clear direction. Purchasing a book or signing up for a random course online may only further confuse you if it’s not the best place to start. It is essential to know the fundamental concepts and study each one in-depth.
- The Basics of Computer Architecture
While you may not need to understand how computers are put together to become a programmer, it can help you see the big picture. When you’re talking shop to other programmers, and you start having conversations about, for example, a parallel neural network, these concepts will surface, and you’ll be glad to have a working knowledge of the basics.
Microchips, or integrated circuits, are where the essential elements of your computer reside. They use transistors, or electrical switches that turn off and on, to function.
The computer’s main microchip is the central processing unit or CPU. Using the brain analogy, random access memory (RAM) is the computer’s short-term memory, and the hard drive is the long-term memory.
- How Programming Languages Work
The computer’s CPU understands instructions written in a series of ones and zeros. Luckily, programmers don’t have to work at this primary level; you can use a higher-level programming language like JavaScript or Python. They cover the gap between what humans and computers understand. The code people write is either interpreted or compiled into the machine code your CPU understands.
- How the Internet Works
While you may be pretty adept at using the internet, as a programmer, it helps to understand how computers work together through the internet. The internet is a global connection of computers that use a set of rules to share data via ones and zeros.
The computer initiating the communication is the client, and the one receiving the information is the server. If you use a search engine, for example, you are the client, and the search engine is the server.
- The Function of HTML and CSS
HyperText Markup Language, or HTML, is the structure of a web page. When you visit a website, the server sends HTML to your computer so that your browser can read it and display it. HTML uses tags or labels to identify and display content.
CSS, the abbreviation for Cascading Style Sheets, adds font size, background color and more to the HTML elements.
- The Difference Between JavaScript, Python and Java
JavaScript, a programming language designed for the internet, allows programmers to write code that adds dynamic actions to websites. Python is a language that uses code to run tasks on a user’s computer, not a web browser. Python code can be run on any computer with a Python interpreter installed and is helpful for server-side apps and data science.
While JavaScript and Python use interpreters, Java is a compiled language. It can take compiled bytecode from one platform and execute it on another. Java code written on a Windows operating system can run on any platform, including Mac or Linux.
- Collaboration Through a Version Control System
A VCS is a system through which software code changes are managed and tracked. It allows multiple programmers to work on the same software. Once the software is developed, it often needs bug fixes, security updates and other changes. VCS tracks and manages the files and folders that are added, modified or deleted.
After learning more about these primary concepts, you can study other programming fundamentals such as databases, SQL, package managers and web frameworks. Finding a recently published book or online course that starts with the basics can help you learn to program from the ground up. You can take your knowledge into 2022 and beyond, creating new software that benefits you and others.
