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What exactly is programming used for

Discussion in 'Programming' started by Michael Martins, Dec 7, 2015.

  1. #1
    Hi.
    Been kinda confused about the concept behind programming and what it is used for. I know how to build a website and a blog (but not like really coool). So I was looking for a techie skill to learn that is related and I bumped into some mentions about programming.
    There are some rev share sites that mention their programmer's involvement in their websites and all. But I am still kinda confused.
    I also bumped into some tutorials and didnt know were to start and the kind of results I can achieve with programming.
    So guys I just need help with information on what one can do with programming especially related to web design and where I can start learning. Thanks in advance.
     
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    Michael Martins, Dec 7, 2015 IP
  2. NetStar

    NetStar Notable Member

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    #2
    First, programming is the act of writing code for a computer. Think of CODE like a list of instructions you expect the computer to follow. Every software, mobile app, and even web site uses some sort of code that tells the computer what to do when a button is clicked. How does programming fall in to place with Web Design? In the "back end" (behind the scenes). FaceBook uses a programming language to save and retrieve data from a database. In fact, the most common reason you would use a programming language is to connect to a dayabase, retrieve or store information, then perform a series of logic or operations on the data. This web site forum that you are on uses PHP programming. Basically, if you want to make any web site that has a community, offers a registration with an account, or even showcase large amounts of data you will need to learn programming.

    Start with PHP. It's easy and fun. You will quickly realize how useful it is or quickly realise how you don't need it.
     
    NetStar, Dec 7, 2015 IP
  3. PoPSiCLe

    PoPSiCLe Illustrious Member

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    #3
    Eh... Your question doesn't really make sense. There are hundreds, if not thousands of different programming languages, for wildly different things. Some can be used to make websites, while others are used to make stand alone apps or programs - yet other ones are used to program microcontrollers, make sure your microwave knows what it means when you press the buttons, and thousands of other things.

    "what exactly is programming used for"? Everything, nowadays. Hence, your question is too broad, and doesn't really make sense.

    For web development, PHP is one of the most used and easy to learn languages out there. Same goes for javascript, although it's more for enhancement than actually code something. Although it's used also on the server side with node.js.

    So, to answer your question (specific to webdesign): emailing someone from a contact form? Requires programming. Registering and being able to come back to log in to your account? Requires programming. Creating a database driven website? Requires programming.
    Programming is used for almost every website in existence nowadays. While it's still possible to hard-code everything, as long as you need some dynamic code, or community to attend, you'll need some way to communicate with the back-end.
     
    PoPSiCLe, Dec 7, 2015 IP
  4. Michael Martins

    Michael Martins Active Member

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    #4
    Thanks for your reply.

    It makes more sense now, I think I know now which way to turn. Thanks

    How about software architecture. Does that mean one can create a software? And what are the things to learn. Thanks
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 7, 2016
    Michael Martins, Dec 7, 2015 IP
    NetStar likes this.
  5. #5
    Software is programming code. If you want to make software for windows check out Visual Basic or visual c#. If you want to make an app for android check out java. If you want to make a web site offering some type of service check out php for the programming and HTML, css, and JavaScript for the front end.
     
    NetStar, Dec 8, 2015 IP
  6. Michael Martins

    Michael Martins Active Member

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    #6
    Th
    Thanks a lot you have been immensely helpful
     
    Michael Martins, Dec 8, 2015 IP
  7. deathshadow

    deathshadow Acclaimed Member

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    #7
    Good answers so far, but I think it should be a wee bit better explained.

    Plainly put programming simply means creating a set of instructions for a computer to follow. That's all it is. There are many different types of programming, but at the heart of it the programmer is simply telling the computer how to do things.

    There are many types of programming. Machine Language (hereafter abbreviated as ML) for example is the native language of the hardware. ML is in binary, a series of 1's and 0's that's incomprehensible gibberish that nobody could remember off the top of their head. That's why we have Assembly language (aka ASM from this point on).

    ASM is simply a series of short words or abbreviations (called mnemonics) that us "mere mortals" can remember that represent that chain of ones and zeros. Both ML and "assembled" ASM are usually referred to as "binaries" or "executables".

    ML and ASM have the problem that they are not "portable" between different "platforms". Every processor "family" has it's own set of unique machine language codes. ML/ASM binaries for IBM/Motorola powerPC (older Mac's, PS3) won't run on a Intel or AMD x86 or x64 (PC) platform. Binaries written for x86 or x64 won't run on ARM (most Android/iOS devices), etc, etc.

    To address this "high level languages" exist. MOST of todays programming is done in high level languages. C, Pascal, PHP, JavaScript, Perl, Fortran, Cobol, DiBol, Forth, Ruby, ADA, there's an endless array of high level languages. They exist as an abstraction to remove the portability issue so that code written once can be run on all processor families, and to make it easier to do the "grunt work" of programming. Assembly and ML involves a lot of "brute force" busy-work. High level languages take a lot of the mundane aspects and does it for you.

    There are two major types of high level languages, Compiled and Interpreted.

    Compilers turn a high level language code into machine language. Despite this compilation the resulting code is not as fast or compact as true ML/ASM, but once compiled they are typically fast enough on modern systems to "get the job done". The only major disadvantages is that first, the resulting "binary" is not portable so to move to another platform you need the source code and a compiler for the other platform. Second, compilation takes a good deal of time so it's not something you want to do a whole lot. As your program gets larger and larger compilation takes longer and longer, resulting in a hefty disruption of your workflow when it comes time to debug your program. SOME languages (pascal, modula) though have thing like "strict typecasting" and very strict structural rules that mean errors in the code won't even make it past the compiler. Hence the old joke about shooting yourself in the foot with programming languages. "C - You shoot yourself in the foot", "Pascal - won't let you shoot yourself in the foot".

    Interpreters are ML or Compiled programs that take your instructions and run them. They have their own instructions pre-compiled that you call. The resulting program is most always slower since it's another layer of abstaction and the code has to be parsed anew each time it is run. Many store the program as what's called "bytecode" - short byte representations of full instructions - to speed things up, and some (PHP for example) can have a "bytecode cache" to store the bytecode that's built from the long-form human readable code.

    Interpreters are slow, but the result is even more portable and easier to work with in terms of debugging since it runs what you wrote nearly directly instead of waiting for a full machine language compile. So long as the interpreter for the language you are using is present on the machine you want to run it on, your code will run.

    The lines are getting blurred as things like "Just in Time" compilation is added to interpreted languages, languages like JAVA and .NET store and distribute their programs in a form of bytecode (known as P-Code) that can then be compiled on the fly where it would be advantageous to do so, etc, etc...

    But at the heart of it, programming regardless of what "level" you're doing it at is simply creating a set of instructions called "software" for the computer (aka hardware) or some other software already on the computer (an 'interpreter') to follow.

    Hope that helps.
     
    deathshadow, Dec 23, 2015 IP
  8. Michael Martins

    Michael Martins Active Member

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    #8
    Yes thank you
     
    Michael Martins, Dec 27, 2015 IP
  9. elisagrace

    elisagrace Peon

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    #9
    Hi All!
    Greetings!


    As I am a software developer, the main purpose behind creating a programming language is to design a website with a writing software. And, this writing software comes in a wide variety of application domains. This makes a user’s job easy and quick.
     
    elisagrace, Dec 28, 2015 IP
  10. Omee

    Omee Greenhorn

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    #10
    You use programming for craeting everything from Artificial Intelligence to simple websites that only displays texts. If you are going to start programming i recommend HTML as a good starting point for Website development and Python for developing well you can use it to develop manything from mobile apps or web application development to AI programmed in most advanced robots in this world.
     
    Omee, Dec 29, 2015 IP
  11. elisagrace

    elisagrace Peon

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    #11
    I agree with Omee, that if you are a starter, then HTML and even Java are good to start for website development. But, professionally, you are looking keeping the target audience in mind, then ASP.NET is the best.
     
    elisagrace, Dec 30, 2015 IP
  12. PoPSiCLe

    PoPSiCLe Illustrious Member

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    #12
    I realise you're a noob on the forum, but... seriously? HTML, fine. That is the basic language of EVERY webpage out there. JAVA? Why in the WORLD would you be creating anything in JAVA? It's pure and utter garbage for websites, the only use it has is for interaction that has to rely on hardware not reachable via regular web-browser capabilities - but then again, nothing has had more holes than JAVA the latest years. No, no and no. Unless you meant javascript, which is NOT THE SAME THING. And then, you go mentioning asp.net - why? Again, with the crappy limiting services, and "keeping the target audience in mind" - what the F*CK does that even MEAN? Your "target audience" doesn't give a flying purple fish what server side language you're using, only what you're using it FOR - and you can do just the same with PHP, Python, Perl or anything else not having to run on an IIS-machine - which will limit your choice of servers and hosts, and also provide less information in general if you have to google for solutions. WHY would you recommend asp.net? Please, I beg of you, give us 5 clear-cut, simple reasons why it's supposedly better!
     
    PoPSiCLe, Dec 31, 2015 IP
    deathshadow likes this.