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Breaking The Code

It’s no secret nowadays that people who choose technology as a career are likely to find themselves in demand. As more and more of our world converts to the digital, we need a growing pool of talent which is able to write the programs and apps which we run our daily lives on. These programing languages are powerful, plentiful and offer top dollar to those able to wield them effectively. Why do computers need a special language though, and where does someone even begin when starting out learning to write, or code, them?

Computers operate using binary code, which is basically a series of 0s and 1s that represent electrical signals within the computer’s hardware. We use programing language, which is eventually translated into this binary code, to create software, websites, operating systems and so on. The power of these languages, as well as being more efficient and easier for us humans to understand, is that they can be specialized for use in specific roles. A language used for web development, such as HTML or Javascript, looks very different to something used to create programs and apps, such as Python or C++.

The very first programming language was called “Assembly Language” and was developed in the 1940s and 1950s to program the earliest computers. It was introduced as an alternative to using the time-consuming and error-prone (for humans, anyway) binary code directly, instead allowing early programmers to use short mnemonic codes. One of the drawbacks of Assembly Language is that it was hardware-specific, meaning you could only use it with the type of computer for which it was written. Eventually, standards were formed and computer-agnostic coding languages emerged. “C”, a language developed in the early 1970s, became one of the prime examples of this, is still very much in use today.

So, what if you wanted to get started with learning to code? While a vast number of structured courses exist, and are important for ensuring, just like any language, your technique is correct; you can typically get started for free to make sure it’s something which you enjoy. Python is an incredibly popular and versatile language, if you’re interested in creating programs and web apps. Java, PHP and HTML are perfect if you’d like to create websites or mobile applications. Swift and Kotlin are used for Apple and Android respectively for their app development. Want to create video games, operating systems and other software? C++ is the way to go.

There’s something for everyone, truly. Those who like creating things, problem solving, automating tasks or simply those looking for a career can find benefits from having coding skills. While it’s true the rise of more graphical creation methods are gaining popularity over working with the code itself, having a deep understanding of that which is going on in the background is still hugely advantageous. As technology plays an increasingly important role in daily life, having an understanding of how it works and being able to create and modify software can be empowering and give individuals greater control over their digital lives.

 

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