Computer Programming Basics You Should Know
April 17th, 2008Can you tell me how to prepare a bowl of cereals with milk? Too simple, right? You can probably rattle out a series of no-brainer instructions that I can perform in about a minute. Now try making a computer to do just that. What began as a simple task now appears really hard.
Introductory Action
Computer programming is a entirely unique possibilities. Believe it or not, programming actually began in the 1200s, when simple machines were devised to execute simple mechanical jobs. It has developed into an art and as a science since then, providing us with the technologies that have made many aspects of our lives easier and faster.
Once you start learning computer programming, you will have to go through:
- The basic concept of the discipline
You will need a good background in the field so that you to know how it really works. With a solid foundation built on knowing the basics of computer programming, it will be easier to learn its details, including procedures, steps and other instructions.
- Knowing the types of programming
Essentially, there are two basic types of programming, each of which has its own strengths and weaknesses. Procedural programming is quite useful particularly because it is a really easy and simple way to guide a computer what to do. It is also the core of many computer languages. Basically, it is a straight operation of inputs and outputs, where a user or programmer provides a set of instructions and a computer follows those instructions. Learning procedural programming makes it easy for new programmers learn elements such as sequence, selection and iteration.
The other type of programming is object-oriented, which is relatively new. This type of programming treats instructions as a set of objects. In object-oriented programming, you will know about object properties, event handlers and methods.
You will learn both types of programming as part of a basic course. Using the cereal and milk analogy, for example, you will be able to write a code that will tell a computer how to pour the right amount of cereal into a bowl and how much milk to use, in that order. And if you have mastered the skills, you can even tell the computer what specific type of cereal and milk to use.
- Grasping the nature of the code
Programming codes power a computer program. Codes vary in design and use as per the language. Codes are the core part of a computer program and will be one of the basics you will learn in programming.
- Learning problem-solving
Problem solving consumes so much time – how to create a source code for a required end result, how to fix a bug, how to solve a glitch, how to put things together or in sequence so they work. You will learn how to look at a problem, break it down to its solvable components and find solutions.
Thinking logically
Mathematics and logics play a very important role in computer programming and require you to think in numbers, figures and sequences. However, these basics are easy to learn, provided you have the patience to follow the right steps. Once you have trained your mind to think like this, you are well on your way to a great career as a computer programmer.
Visit these blog posts - how to start computer programming and best computer programming languages.
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