The ABC of Coding…
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and are not intended to hurt any individual. Images used are subjected to copyright.
I still remember my baby steps for writing the first piece of code. And the happiness we get after we print “Hello World” for the first time is just beyond belief. The coding industry has been massively growing to consummate levels. From a 5-year-old kid to 60 yr aged professional, everyone runs this industry. Unlike me, many of you dreamt of coding and doing something great with it. But, whenever we try something new, we come up with a lot of questions.
This article answers all the questions one might have come through in their life during the course of learning to code. I hope my thoughts answer all your questions and this might help you get a clearer and broader view :)
Q1. Why and What is Coding?
What: As there’s a lot of hype around coding let’s get our basics cleared. Coding is something like writing codes from one language to another whereas Programming means writing a code from scratch using some set of instructions. By programming, one can develop applications that are been used in varied industries such as teaching, corporate sector, medical fraternity, marketing, entertainment, etc.
Now, the language computer understands is very different from the one we communicate with. The languages used to make these applications are innumerable. To name a few as C, C++, Java, Python, Kotlin, R, and many more.
Why? The most trivial thing we do in our life is backed up by some reason. Coding can be a personal choice or a hobby made profession or just for the source of income. The higher skilled you are at your work, the more you will get paid. As simple as that!
Q2. So many languages!!! Which to choose?
We often come to the point where we come across a lot of options; peers suggesting their personal choices. But one thing I would like to emphasize is :
LOGIC >>>>> LANGUAGE.
Technically, any of the program/problem statement is language independent. To draft logic is the key factor to all your problems. If you know logic nothing can stop you from getting that output.
There is as such no magic formula that will yield you the best language to study. It only comes through rigorous practice and trial and error methods which most of them do.
For me, the programming journey hasn’t been so easy. First I learned C then C++ and then Java. But none of them were so much appealing to me till I met Python!!. When I started learning Python, it was one of the best learning I had been doing. And so I chose this path to go on further. Your choice and interest may be totally different or some.
Learning anything should be solely dependent on your own self and not on someone else’s recommendation.
DO YOU KNOW?
According to Wikipedia, there are 700 programming languages while some sources say it is closer to 9000!
Astonishing, isn't it?
Q3. Are all languages the same or different?
Looking into similarities, each language is quite similar until some point, but after that, each one of them has its own unique feature and compatibilities for which they well know.
The major/minor difference in languages is their syntax. Syntax means the style of writing in any language. Each of the languages has its own unique style in which they need to be written. Other factors might be the execution time it takes to compile and run any code or use of any special functions, or the built-in libraries which make coding more fun!
Q4. So where do I write?
After all the above steps are done, where do you exactly write in. So each language comes up with its own personal platforms wherein it needs to be executed, known as IDE, text editors, sometimes even in the terminal.
For eg To implement C language we use Turbo C, for Python, there’s Python IDE, Jupyter Notebook, etc. But some text editors are common for some of the languages such as in Notepad + you can use more than one language, but proper file extension must be given in order to make the computer understand what exactly you are writing.
Q5. Why choose the best?
Many of you might think about why selecting any one particular language is essential. In fact, it is the most crucial step as anything you try to build, the foundation must be strong. You don’t need to learn 10 or 15 or 100 languages, but all you need is just mastering in 1 specific language and then moving forward with it.
When you figure out your domain of expertise and interest of our choice, you have much-widened scope waiting ahead for you to engineer prospects.
Q6. Is switching languages or a field of study okay?
Yes, it is completely okay if u learn something for 5 years and then you don’t feel like it’s your forte ad so u decide to pick up something else. It’s absolutely all right because man learns from his mistakes. Anything you study is never going to be a waste. Always remember, even if u are not sure from where to start, just randomly pick any topic and start learning. Just idly sitting and thinking best isn’t going to work for you. You have to work, you have to try so many things to reach your compatible spot.
Set goals, adjust preferences, and work hard to achieve them!
To conclude I ain't saying just be reading articles, blogs & introspecting industry trends, no one can figure out what they would like to study. From my personal experience, it comes through trial and error always. You pick up ‘A’ to learn, you fail, and then pick ‘B’ and this goes on continuing until you find your own favorite.
