What is Programming and How to Get Started as a Beginner?
Author: M. Mehdi
If you're wondering about programming and are interested in jumping into it, then this blog is for you.
In this blog, I will provide a complete details of the following:
- What is programming?
- What is coding?
- Why should we know programming?
- Who is a programmer?
- Is programming really difficult?
- Steps to become a programmer.
"Programs must be written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute."
--Harold Abelson
What is Programming?
Programming is basically a set of instructions that we write to achieve a task, or simply a sequence of steps to complete a task.
Let's take a scenario to understand this:
There is a kid named Bob in a school who purchases a cold drink daily during his school break. Normally, he follows the steps below to purchase the cold drink:
1- Go to the school canteen or shop.
2- Tell the shopkeeper about the drink he wants to purchase.
3- The shopkeeper will provide him with the drink.
4- Bob gives the money to the shopkeeper.
5- Then Bob comes back from the canteen.
So, on a daily basis, if he gets the same drink, then he is actually repeating a phenomenon daily.
Now, I have a little question: What if Bob writes these steps in a file and just puts that file inside a robot? That robot will read the file and buy the cold drink for Bob whenever he wants. So, Bob actually just calls the robot and can ask it to buy the drink, and the file where he has saved the instructional steps to purchase the drink is named "buy cold drink."
From this, we develop an understanding that, in order to avoid the re-execution of the same tasks, we just define the steps and then call that file.
In the above example, the robot is your computer or a machine, which will read the steps written in a file. Those steps are actually called the code, and this whole process is known as programming.
What is Coding?
The way we tell computers how to do a task is actually called coding.
For example, whenever you go to an ATM to withdraw cash, you provide instructions to the machine, such as your card PIN, the amount to withdraw, and whether you want to print a receipt or not.
These all are lines of code that a inserted inside the ATM machine as programming and other name of programming is actually called coding or you can say like code is same as programming.
Why Should We Know Programming?
We should know programming because it helps us automate our routine tasks and saves a lot of time by eliminating the need to repeat same steps.
Let's take an example of a website or a mobile app which calculates a person's age. If someone wants to calculate their age manually, they would first convert years into months, then months into days, and then finally calculate the total age based on the date of birth. So, everyone will execute the same steps again and again.
Therefore, if you know programming, you can simply program these steps and take the date of birth as input from a person and pass it to that program. The program will then calculate the age. In this way, you can calculate anyone's age, no matter how many people want to calculate it, for a lifetime. This is the benefit of programming, if we know programming, it will save us a lot of time.
Who Is A Programmer?
A programmer is basically a person who writes code or a program to complete a task. Like in the case of an ATM's programming, a bank's programmer wrote the code, and that person is a programmer.
Similarly, in the case of purchasing a cold drink from the school cafe, a student can write a program, and we would call that student a programmer.
Is programming really difficult?
As for difficulty, I would say it depends. If a person truly wants to become a programmer and is highly interested, bringing a lot of energy, then it's not difficult. However, if you tend to get frustrated easily whenever you start learning something new, it can be challenging.
In the next heading, I am describing the complete steps on how someone can become a programmer.
Steps to become a programmer
In order to become a programmer you have to follow the steps below:
1. Research About HTML
This step is very easy; you just have to do some research about what HTML is, why we need it, and what its benefits are.
2. Make Yourself Familiar With Websites
Go to internet and learn a little about the websites.
3. Create Your Own Webpage Like Magic
This is one of the most important step, which is like magic and will boost your motivation to become a programmer. In this step, you have to create your own webpage.
Don't panic this is very easy.
4. Design Webpage
In the step 3 you have created your own webpage but that is not much looking good now just try to make it a little beautiful and add some colors into it.
5. Research About JavaScript
You have to research about the JavaScript. Just go on internet and check "What is JavaScript?".
6. Research About Visual Studio Code
Go to the internet and search for 'What is Visual Studio Code?'. It's a software application where you write code or programs and see the results.
7. Continue Practice
Once you are done with HTML, beautifying the webpage, JavaScript, and Visual Studio Code, it's time to increase your practice by doing it again and again.
8. Understand Computer Science
There are multiple fields related to computer science and each has different benefits. As you learned the programming and wanted to move toward the programming related field then you have options of development including web, mobile, and many other development related jobs.
Make sure that the field should be interesting that you would love to do and also can have future growth as well.
Conclusion
Programming is just a set of instructions provided to a machine to complete a task. A programmer is a person who writes the code. It is very important because it saves us a lot of time, and we never need to do repetitive tasks again and again.
Programming is not very difficult unless you put in your best effort. Anyone can learn it, and it is one of the most demanding fields in the current era.
To become a programmer, start with HTML for creating your web page, along with CSS and JavaScript. Everything is easy, but you need to allocate sufficient time to learn and practice.
💡 Pro Tip: Think of learning programming like building a strong foundation, start with the basics, practice consistently, and break complex problems into smaller steps.