A Beginner's Guide to Programming
A comprehensive beginner's guide to the world of programming.
Of all the highly valued skills in the tech industry, computer programming is one of the top 3 most essential skills on demand. Programming jobs like software development, automation scripting, robotics and data science are part of the highest-paying skills in tech. The average salary of an entry-level programmer can range between $20K to $55K annually in the US and senior-level role salaries can be up to over $350K annually in the US.
What is programming?
According to Coursera, programming refers to a technological process for telling a computer which tasks to perform in order to solve problems. You can think of programming as a collaboration between humans and computers, in which humans create instructions for a computer to follow (code) in a language computers can understand.
Simply put, programming is telling the computer what to do.
Why should you consider programming?
There are a number of reasons you may consider a programming career.
You are into math, logic and problem-solving.
You are interested in how applications and computers work under the hood and want to build one yourself.
You are interested in a career that involves coding like software engineering or data science.
You want to automate a process that takes you too much time to complete.
How do you get started with programming?
Getting started with coding can be intimidating, but it's not as difficult as it may seem.
The best way to get started is to choose a programming language that interests you, and then find beginner-level tutorials, books, or online courses that will teach you the basics.
You can also join a programming community, coding academy or bootcamp.
Start with simple projects or challenges and build your way up as you gain confidence and experience.
Popular Programming Languages
According to the StackOver 2022 review, the top 10 most popular programming languages include:
Javascript
Python
Java
Typescript
C#
C++
PHP
C
Go
Ruby
Other notable programming languages include Swift, Kotlin, Scala, Rust, Cjoure, Julia, Perl, Haskel, Lisp, Solidity, R and Dart.
Programming Languages Used in Tech Fields
There are specialized programming languages used in certain fields:
Web development: The most popular language for web development is Javascript because it can be used for both frontend (the UI the user sees on the browser) development and backend development (the unseen logic that makes the website work from a server). Other programming languages used in web development include PHP, Python, Ruby, Java and Go.
Data Science: Python is the most popular language for data science because it is easy to write and read, and has a lot of math and data science libraries. Another popular language for data science is R. Other languages for data science include Julia, Javascript, C and MATLAB.
Desktop app development: The most popular languages for desktop app development include Java, Scala, C#, Javascript and Typescript.
Mobile app development: When building mobile apps, it depends on the platform. You can either build for the Android platform or the IOS platform. If you're building for Android the languages to use include Kotlin and Java. Swift and Objective-C are the widely used language for IOS app development. You can also build across platforms with languages like Dart (with Flutter), C# (with Xamarin) and Javascript (with React Native).
Game development: The most popular platforms for game development Unity and Unreal engine use both C# and C/C++ for development. Other gaming tools use languages like Python and Java. Python has a beginner-friendly library for game development called Pygames.
Blockchain development: The most popular language for blockchain development is Solidity used for making smart contracts for Ethereum. Other programming languages used for blockchain development include Rust, C/C++ and Go.
Robotics and embedded systems: C and C++ remain the most widely used languages for robotics and embedded systems. However, due to the security issues with these languages, Rust is becoming the preferred language. Python and Go can also be used for robotics and embedded systems programming.
Common programming concepts
There are common concepts that are universal across most programming languages, they include:
Variables
Conditionals
Loops
Functions
Classes and objects
Variables
In programming, a variable is a named container that can store a value or reference to a value. Variables allow us to store and manipulate data in our programs, making it easier to write reusable and dynamic code.
In this Javascript example, we're defining a variable called age and assigning it an initial value of 30. We can now use this variable throughout our program to perform calculations, comparisons, or any other operations that involve the age of a person.
Conditionals
In programming, conditionals are statements that allow us to execute certain blocks of code based on whether a condition is true or false. In most programming languages, conditionals are implemented using the if statement. The if statement takes a condition and executes the code inside the block if the condition is true.
In this Python example, we're using the modulo operator % to determine if the number is even or odd. If the remainder of the number divided by 2 is 0, the number is even, so we print "The number is even". Otherwise, we print "The number is odd".
Loops
In programming, loops allow us to execute a block of code repeatedly. Loops are useful for performing repetitive tasks, such as iterating over an array or processing a large dataset. In most programming languages, there are several types of loops available, including for, while, and do-while loops. The for loop is commonly used when we know in advance the number of times we want to execute a block of code.
In this Ruby example, we're using a for loop to iterate over the range 1..10, which includes the integers from 1 to 10. On each iteration of the loop, we print the value of i using the puts method. This code will output the numbers from 1 to 10 on separate lines.
Functions
In programming, functions are reusable blocks of code that perform a specific task. Functions help to organize code and make it more modular, which makes it easier to read, debug, and maintain. Functions are typically defined with a name, a list of parameters, and a block of code that is executed when the function is called.
In this C example, we're defining a function called add that takes two integer parameters, a and b. Inside the function, we're defining a local variable called sum that holds the result of adding a and b together. Finally, we're returning the value of sum using the return keyword.
Classes & Objects
In programming, a class is a blueprint for creating objects that share a set of properties and methods. A class defines the structure and behaviour of an object, including its attributes (data) and methods (functions).
An object is an instance of a class, which means that it has its own set of values for the attributes and can invoke the methods defined in the class.
In this Java example, we're defining a class called Person that has a private attribute called name and a constructor that sets the value of name when a new object is created. We're also defining a public method called printName that prints the name of the person to the console using the System.out.println method.
In this Java example, we're creating an object instance of the Person class called john. It has a name attribute set to "John" and a printName method that prints the name to the console. Calling john.printName() would output "My name is John" to the console.
Some challenges programmers face
When embarking on your programming journey, you will have the following challenges:
Lack of motivation
Lack of resources
Tutorial hell
Burn out
How to overcome them
You can overcome challenges by doing any or all of these:
Join a community.
Utilise YouTube.
Have a path, stick to it.
Take breaks and rest occasionally.
Resources you can check out
So Get Started
As you embark on your programming journey, it's important to surround yourself with a supportive community that can enhance your learning experience. Joining Dome Academy's waitlist and becoming part of our vibrant community on WhatsApp can greatly benefit you in your coding endeavours. Dome Academy is dedicated to providing top-notch programming education, resources, and a network of like-minded individuals who share a passion for coding. By joining our waitlist, you'll gain access to exclusive updates, early enrollment opportunities, and exciting programming events.
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