In this post and other subsequent posts in this series, we're going to cover a complete overview of what computer programming or coding is, we will also dive deeper and explain several computer programming concepts, key terms, discuss about different programming languages and their features and as well complete a project that will help drive down this knowledge.

Below is an overview of topics we're going to cover in this post:

What is coding?

Coding Languages

Basic concepts in coding/programming

WHAT IS CODING?

Coding is how humans communicate or interact with computers in order to tell them what to do. With coding, software developers are able to write programs that computers can execute and they also build different types of applications using coding.

Coding is the process of writing computer readable instructions that guides it on how to solve a specific problem or achieve a specific goal.

Code itself is the set of instructions that tell a computer/device what to do. Coding and codes impact our lives daily, and everyday we interact with codes in one way or another through the use of smartphones, laptops, security systems, Smart Assistant devices such as Alexa, Siri etc. and the codes that help these devices to successfully perform their functions were carefully crafted by programmers/developers.

For example, when you perform transactions on your banking applications, use the calculator on your phone, check your digital calendar, attend a virtual meeting via zoom, google meet, whatsapp, etc, or browse the internet, you're using code that has been written by programmers.

WHO IS A PROGRAMMER?

A programmer is someone who analyzes a problem and creates a solution in code.

What are Coding Languages

These are Languages that are used to write codes that computers can understand. Just as humans can communicate in different languages, computers can also be given instructions using different programming languages.

There are several programming languages which can be used in writing codes, and below are a few of them:

Each programming language has its own rules and syntax - what works in one language may not work in another.

**For example: ** to print “Hello World!” in Python, we use print("Hello, World!")

If we typed the same line of code as above in JavaScript(JS), we will get an error. To do the same in JavaScript, we use console.log("Hello, World!").

Basic coding concepts

There are lots of similarities amongst Programming Languages, most languages share core concepts & functionality, so learning one can make it easier to learn others.

Concepts such as Keywords, Variables, Constants, Data Structures, Conditionals and Loops, Functions etc. can be found as the same across various languages.

Keywords: Every programming language recognises specific English words, these are referred to as keywords. Keywords can differ for different languages and they form a core part of the functionality of a programming language.

Every programming language has its own set of keywords. These keywords are part of the syntax and core functionality of the programming language. They are read by the compiler/interpreter and translated into 0s and 1s i.e., Binary code or machine code, that the computer can understand.

**Variables:**Variables are names that we assign to a value in a computer program. They are useful because they allow us to store and manipulate data in a program. One can also change the value of a variable, so it can be used to store different pieces of information at different times.

Constants: A constant is a value that cannot be changed once it has been defined. Constants are often used to represent values that are used frequently within a program, but do not need to be modified.

Using constants makes code easier to read and understand, because one can use a meaningful name for the constant instead of writing out the actual value every time it is used.

It can also help to prevent errors in code. This is because values assigned to a constant cannot be changed

In most programming languages, constants are defined using a special syntax, such as the const keyword in C or the final keyword in Java.

In conclusion, we've talked about what coding or computer programming is. We also discussed how codes can be written in different languages and various basic concepts associated with writing codes such as keywords, variables and constants.

In our next post we will further discuss other components of coding: Data types, Data structures, Errors etc.

Hope you have a god read!