What Is Coding And Why Should You Learn It?

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What Is Coding And Why Should You Learn It?

• Blog URL https//www.goodcore.co.uk/blog/what-is-
  coding/

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Introduction

• If you are one of those people who find the idea
  of making machines follow their instructions
  fascinating, this article might help you to
  explore the entire science behind it.
• The devices that you use, from computers and
  smartphones to smart TVs and virtual assistants,
  all work in a certain manner. But how do these
  devices know what tasks to perform and how to
  perform them?
• They are told what to do with the help of coding.
  But what is coding?
• Coding refers to the process of writing
  instructions for machines in such a way that they
  are able to understand them and behave or respond
  accordingly.
• In this presentation, we will answer the
  following questions in as comprehensive a way as
  possible
• What does coding mean, and what is it used for?
• How does it work?
• What are the different types of coding
  technologies and languages?
• In what ways is coding beneficial?
• Continue reading for an enlightening discussion!

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Coding 101 For Beginners
Our introductory lesson Coding 101 will cover
some simple yet important coding concepts about
what is coding. However, let us first clear one
common misconception. Most people think that
software engineering and coding are synonymous.
That is incorrect. Coding is actually one of the
many processes which are part of software
engineering. So what is coding in software
engineering? It is merely the process of
converting human instructions into a language
that a computer can understand and
follow. Another question that is often raised
is, Do the terms computer coding and computer
programming mean the same thing? There are a
few technical distinctions between the two. For
example, programmers are said to have
higher-level jobs than coders. Coding is usually
considered a part of the more extensive
programming process. However, in Coding 101, you
are allowed to use these terms interchangeably. L
et us now move on to some technical topics
related to computer coding.
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How Does Coding Work? A Question For The Curious
Now that we are done with the introductory
lesson, let us delve deeper into the
technicalities about what is coding in software
engineering, and how it works. In order to make
a computer understand your instructions, you need
to choose a suitable means of communication.
Computers can only comprehend machine language
(binary code). However, instead of learning to
code in binary language, you can learn assembly
language or other high-level languages. Assembly
language, although much more powerful than
high-level languages, is still a lot like machine
language. Therefore, it is relatively hard to
learn. High-level languages are very similar to
the languages that humans communicate in, such as
English. Hence, they make computer coding much
easier.
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Continued
Once you have learned a high-level language, you
use it to write instructions. This collection of
instructions is called a program. The program is
first converted from high-level language to
assembly language with the help of a compiler or
interpreter. The assembly language is further
translated into machine language. Once the
computer is able to understand what you are
saying, it knows exactly what to do. Your code is
successfully executed when the program runs and
carries out your instructions.
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What Is Coding Used For?

• You must now be thinking, What can you do with
  coding?
• There are numerous applications of computer
  coding. One of the most common ones is seen is
  the form of desktop applications. These are
  programs that you use on your computers or
  laptops. For example, a word processor, such as
  Microsoft Word, has many lines of code behind it.
• Making desktop apps is not the only purpose of
  coding. There are many other areas that can be
  used. Take a look at the following tasks
• Developing a new operating system for PC
• Creating a mobile application, such as a new
  Music Player
• Setting up a website, such as a personal blog
• Instructing a microwave on how to heat food
• Coming up with a new MMORPG that people can play
  with their friends on PC or phone
• There are thousands (sometimes even millions) of
  lines of code that enable you to perform these
  tasks. Therefore, this is all part of what coding
  is.

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Types Of Coding Languages A Few Basic Concepts

• Coding involves writing many different types of
  programs to perform a variety of tasks. You
  choose a language depending on your needs.
• Each coding language has its own syntax, i.e.,
  rules, just like the English language has some
  grammar rules.
• There are a few programming languages that have
  been a popular choice among coders for the past
  few years. Let us talk about some of the most
  common coding languages
• Java
• Python
• PHP
• HTML
• CSS

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Java
This is one of the few programming languages that
are taught to Coding 101 students. Many people
believe that it is one of the languages that is
easiest to learn. It is very similar to C when it
comes to syntax. However, unlike C, it is an
object-oriented language (lets leave that for
another time though!). One of its major
advantages is that it is machine-independent.
However, for development, you will need Java
SE installed on your machine. Java is a
multipurpose language. Its applications include
the development of browser-based, mobile, and
desktop apps. Lets take a look at one of the
beginner Java lessons, which makes use of the
print function.
Input
Output
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Python
Python is another extremely simple and
easy-to-learn coding language, which is a major
reason behind its rapidly increasing popularity.
It is a favorite in the field of Data Science due
to its extensive range of scientific and
mathematical functions. It is also used to
develop desktop and web applications, such as ERP
systems. A simple command for printing a line
on-screen would look like this
Input
Output

• Some other common functions include
• str() declare empty string
• max()/min() return maximum/minimum from list of
  given values
• sum() return the total of given values

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PHP

• PHP is a scripting language that is used in
  writing server-side code for websites. It
  provides a communication channel between the web
  server and the browser.
• There are a number of reasons why PHP is given
  preference over other scripting languages.
• It is free and open-source. You can download
  it here.
• It is extremely easy to learn.
• PHP has been a favorite of programmers for the
  past few years. Therefore, it has seen a lot of
  growth and improvement, making it a good choice
  for both beginners and experts.
• This is how you write a basic PHP script, i.e.,
  the part that is enclosed in the lt?phpgt lt?gt
  tags.

Input
Output
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CSS
More commonly known as CSS, Cascading Style
Sheets is used by developers to enhance website
design and layout. They are a means to beautify
webpages. Using CSS, you can define the font
styles, sizes, colors, and various other design
elements for the layout of your webpages. CSS
code usually follows this syntax


If you wanted all your headings to be colored
white with a black background, this is how you
would code it in your style sheet
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HTML

• HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is one of the
  most common coding languages used for web
  development. HTML tackles the following
  questions
• What content will be displayed on your webpage?
• How will it be displayed on the screen?
• The language is based on pairs of tags (included
  in angle brackets, e.g., lttaggt lt/taggt), which
  help identify and define the elements on your
  webpage. For example, this is the code for
  including a heading on your page

Similarly, a paragraph is represented by ltpgt and
an image by ltimggt. Remember to always close your
tags. Here is an example of coding in HTML and
CSS combined
Output
Input
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How Computer Coding Is Beneficial For You
Suppose you have a great idea for starting a
website for your business where you want to
showcase the products or services you will be
selling. What is the first step that you will
have to take to create a website? What is the
process? Thats right, coding technology. Do you
see where we are going with this? No matter what
field of study or profession you may be in, being
able to code is a very handy skill required these
days. You might argue that you can always hire
someone else to do the coding for you. However,
the process of hiring a developer is exhaustive,
time-consuming, and maybe quite expensive too.
You would not want to hire someone just to write
a simple piece of code for you. Even if you do
decide to hire someone for a project, it would be
much easier to communicate your needs and
requirements to them if you yourself had a good
understanding of basic coding concepts.
Therefore, it is better for you to at least learn
a few basic coding skills. If you choose to
practice and excel at it, you could even end up
making a career out of it. If not, then you will
at least be able to understand and stay informed
about the newest technologies. Furthermore,
coding involves coming up with multiple solutions
to problems. So it will help you in the creative
and critical thinking department.


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A Few Final Words

• Now that you have reached the end of this
  article, you would know the answers to these
  questions
• What is coding in software engineering?
• What are some common programming languages?
• What advantages does computer coding give you?
• Here are a few things that you must remember in
  coding 101
• Always pick the coding technology that meets your
  requirements.
• Give equal importance to your coding concepts and
  hands-on practice.
• Dont try to learn everything at once.
• Practice makes perfect!
• You may be getting started with your Hello
  World! program right now, but you will improve
  with consistent practice and revision. Good luck!

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End.