THE WORLD OF A PROGRAMMER
What is a Programmer?
What is a computer? A computer can be defined as an electronic device that has the ability to perform data manipulation such as storing and sending information and also follow a sets of instruction given. This definition is incomplete but it does gives you a clue what a computer is. Examples of electronic devices that are computers are: cell phone, laptop, desktop, washing machine etc.
Having grasp what a computer is now, we can talk about a programmer.
As it was stated that a computer can be given a sets of instruction to perform, such as when you type a password the computer must open and also when you press a button the computer must close. Casual users may think that this just happens because computers are smarter than human. Though this is open for discussion, it should be noted that that claim is not true. Computers only do things what they are told to do by humans (it is important to note that that may change soon due to artificial intelligence.). When computers do what they are told to do in a specified time we say the computer is programed to that thing. That is where programmers come into play.
A programmer therefore can be defined as a person who writes a set of instructions for a computer to follow at a given time or in response to human actions. For example, a traffic light is programmed to change lights at different intervals. So programmers are those people who work behind the scene so that you can enjoy the fruits of their instructions such as playing a game.
Why Should You Learn Programming?
Learning how to program in our days has become a fundamental prerequisite in our day today business. In fact, if you are tired of doing all the hard jobs for yourself you should consider learning how to program. Programing has become a necessity in our world due to advance in technology. In our time it is difficult to finish a day without using a computer. Accountants use excel for data manipulation, scientist uses excel to analyses data and teachers use their computer to store student’s mmarks.You can do almost any work with computers.
As each and every day we face computers the feeling arise where we feel like something must automatically happen at a given time because we do it each and every day. That is when programing knowledge comes in handy. If you want to automate stuff in your computer you have to learn programming.
In addition, programmers are artist. This means that they can create anything they want using their tools at their disposal. If a programmer want to create an app, he creates it, a game, a website and so on. The list is endless. Knowing even a single language gives you a superpower that will help you for the rest of your life.
Furthermore, programming can become a career option. In our days there is a rise in the number of people that are need who can program and their salary is very good. Other than that programming is fun.
How to Enter Into the World of Programming?
You just have to decide to do it and do it. Well that is what I deed. I decided to become a programmer and the next thing I was surfing the net for looking for programming languages. In fact I have discovered that this approach is the best approach ever. Unlike when you are faced with arrays of course after finishing high school to choose from and two months down the line you find yourself in a computer science course not knowing what to do. That is a worst thing to do.
Teaching yourself to code gives you the advantage of learning what you want at your own pace and time. It is also a good time to test lots of programming language you may want to learn. At the varsity am afraid you won’t be given that privilege.
So, the formula is to decide what you want to do and then look for the language you want to learn. For example if you want to be a web developer you many go for: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. If you want to create games you may go for C/C++ etc.
How to survive into the world of programmers?
Okay, deciding to become a programmer is not something you may take lightly. In fact to become a programmer is like divorcing everything you cherish in your life. A computer becomes your new wife. The more time you spend with it the better you become. So the best advice for all people who are entering this world is for them to stay in the lab. Let me say it again ‘stay in the lab!’ If you cannot do that your life expectancy in this world is zero. Programmers over the years have been characterize as people who do not have girlfriends for that simple reason. To become the best in this world you have to do a lot of practice. That is why we say stay in the lab. That is the only way you can become the best. As the saying goes ‘practice make perfect.’ And this saying is truer here. So stay in the lab.
How to become an expert in programming?
As I have pointed out earlier on, you have to stay in the lab. That is the first step you have to take. After that try as many languages as you can (at least five languages). This will come in handy when you decide to switch to other languages because you have decided to go for another project or are bored in your language. This does not only help you to understand how the language of your choice work but it also helps you to be more competitive. For example a company may prefer to employ someone who knows to program their site back and front compare to a front end developer only.
In addition to that, a balance in learning the languages will be helpful. For example learning JavaScript, PHP or java and then learning C/C++ and Python will be consider a good choice. This makes one to have experience in working with high level languages and low level languages as well as scripting languages. Last but not least, choose a language and learn it until you master it.
Advice for beginners
To all beginners I would like to encourage you to start coding and be patient. Remember that Rome was not build within a day.