What is programming?
What is programming?
There are countless definitions of computer programming, but here is mine.
“Programming is how you get computers to solve problems.”
There are two key phrases here that are important:
- You: without the programmer (you), the computer is useless. It does what you tell it to do.
- Solve problems: computers are tools. They are complex tools, admittedly, but they are not mysterious or magical: they exist to make tasks easier
Computer programs make computers work
Computer programs (or software) are what make computers work. Without software, modern computers are just complicated machines for turning electricity into heat. It’s software on your computer that runs your operating system, browser, email, games, movie player – just about everything.
Programming is creative
Programming is a creative task: there is no right or wrong way to solve a problem, in the same way, that there is no right or wrong way to paint a picture.
There are choices to be made, and one way may seem better than another, but that doesn’t mean the other is wrong! With the right skills and experience, a programmer can craft software to solve an unlimited number of problems – from telling you when your next train will arrive to playing your favorite music.
The possibilities are constrained only by your imagination. That’s why I love programming.