Why is Coding important in today’s world
To better understand what coding is all about and its importance in our today’s world, you first need to understand what a computer is and how it works. By understanding the basic functionality of a computer device, you get to appreciate where coding comes in and its results. Computers are very critical in our today’s world. We live in a tech-driven world, where technology has become central to our daily lives. Every day we use technology at work, to make decisions, to communicate and connect with others, for educational purposes, etc.
What is a computer
A computer is an electronic device that accepts data and processes it to give an output. The computer accepts data via input devices and gives an output via output devices. The processing function is done by the software components.
Components of a computer
To accomplish its purpose, a computer is made up of two main components, that is, hardware and software components. The hardware includes all the computer parts that can be touched. Hardware parts are categorised into input devices and output devices. Input devices enabled the computer to take in data to be worked on (to be processed) while output devices enable a computer to give out results after the processing.
The Hardware Component
Input Devices
They include microphones for accepting audio, a keyboard for typing, a mouse to move the cursor on the screen and click buttons, and scanners for capturing image data.
Output Devices
They include a monitor (computer screen) for display, speakers for sound, a projector, a printer, etc.
The Software Component
Software components enable the computer to work on the input data and give out the desired output based on the specified instructions.
Software is a set of instructions that guides a computer on what needs to be done and how to be done. Computers do not understand direct human languages. Therefore, these instructions are prepared/written using a computer language. However, it is we human beings who write these instructions.
Types of Software in a Computer
Two main types of software run on a computer, that is, application software and system software. System software is responsible for running the computer’s hardware devices while applications software are designed to perform specific tasks or to satisfy a specific need.
System software provides a platform for applications to run on top of. Operation system is an example of system software. The common operating systems are Android, Windows, iOS, and Linux.
Some examples of application software are web browsers, Microsoft Word, graphics software, computer games etc.
The Computer language
Machine language is the lowest-level language that a computer understands and it is in binary format.
Coding is the process of writing computer instructions for the computer to follow. The instructions are written using computer programming languages. Coding and programming can be used interchangeably. With programming, we get all the computer systems and applications that we use and interact with daily.
This is why it is important to understand what coding is all about and why it matters.
Each programming language has an implementation that allows it to translate the human-readable line of code into machine language so that the computer can understand and process the instructions in its language. In some languages, this implementation is called a compiler and an interpreter in others. Therefore, a human application developer will not have to learn or worry about the binary language.
Some common programming languages are Java, Python, Javascript, C++, C#, VB.Net, etc.
What is coding about
Coding is all about writing computer programs that solve a specific problem or improve efficiency. Every computer program was (is) created to address a real problem or simplify a real-life process or procedure. Therefore, learning coding is learning how to solve real-world problems using technology. When designing applications, a lot of work goes into understanding the problem at hand and visualising how the solution should work. Besides, all the input data and desired output/results are considered before writing the actual lines of code. Therefore, coding is a fun and engaging process of implementing solutions.
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