What is Programming? [Definition and Types]

You can provide particular instructions to a person by talking with them in a specific language like English, Hindi, French, and so on. But what if a human wants to give instructions to a computer? You require a programming language to do so.

Computers don’t understand human language but take programming constructs as the input, a process that specific requests and provides the desired output to humans. In this article, you will learn about what programming is, the categories of programming languages, and which are the popular programming languages.

What is Programming?

Giving machines a set of instructions outlining how a program should be executed is the process of programming. To properly create computer programs, programmers must spend their entire lives studying a range of programming languages and tools.

In the beginning, programmers will create source code using an IDE or code editor. The fundamental logical building blocks of computer programming are these three ideas:

1. Running the instructions in a sequence.
2. Selection: the act of choosing.
3. Repetition, also known as iteration, is the practice of repeating an action.

You can solve a bulk of computer issues if you combine these ideas with the ability to deal with inputs, outputs, and data storage.

There are many distinct programming languages, each with its advantages and issues, and some are more suited to particular jobs than others, but no one language can be said to be the one-size-fits-all solution to every programming problem.

Why Should One Learn Programming?

• Technology is the leading factor in the age in which we live, and its development shows no signs of slowing down. The need for programmers will always be great because the use of technology grows with each passing year.
• Employees frequently have the option to work remotely because the job only needs a computer and an internet connection. Having stated that, many businesses provide such a choice, however, it depends on the company’s policy. Additionally, if you operate as a freelancer, you will always be working from a distance.
• Like no other profession, computer programming allows you to digitize your thoughts. This may be an app you wanted to make and believed would be a hit once it was released.
• In most professions, money can be a source of incentive, and programming is no exception. The majority of employment that you may get with programming skills often pay more than the national average.
• Programming can assist you to comprehend and become comfortable with the software, applications, devices, and websites.

Types of Programming Languages

• Assembly Language: It is a low-level language that is compiled by an assembler. Machine codes are converted to human codes via assemblers.
• Scripting Language: It is a language that is used for scripting. These languages are frequently interpretable rather than compilable. Instead of being compiled into machine code, interpreted means that an interpreter will read and run the code. For example, JavaScript is a scripting language.
• Machine Language: 0s and 1s make up the low-level language known as machine language. To execute code by computers, high-level languages are translated into machine code.
• Procedural Language: Languages that follow a set of steps before a program is run on a computer are known as procedural languages. For example, Go, Julia, and C.
• Functional Language: The idea of creating complex programs out of a collection of smaller functions is the basis for functional languages. For example, Scala, and Java.
• Object-oriented Language: The idea of classes and objects is central to the programming paradigm known as object-oriented programming (OOP). It is used to organize software programs into straightforward, reusable chunks of code called blueprints, which are then used to produce distinct instances of objects. JavaScript, C++, Java, and Python are examples of OOPS languages.

Popular Programming Languages

Following are some of the popular programming languages that are used in the IT industry for various tasks:

1. C: The C language follows the procedural and structured language paradigms. It is adaptable and strong, and it can be applied to various situations. Despite being high-level, C and assembly language have many similarities. It is a high-level, all-purpose programming language that is perfect for creating portable apps and firmware.
2. C++: Bjarne Stroustrup, a renowned computer scientist, developed the object-oriented programming language C++ as a member of the C family of languages. It was created as a cross-platform upgrade to C to provide programmers more control over system resources including memory. Over time, C++ has remained a highly helpful language for educating new programmers about object-oriented programming as well as for computer programming itself. However, it also supports procedural and functional programming paradigms in addition to OOPS principles.
3. Java: Millions of devices, including laptops, smartphones, gaming consoles, medical equipment, and many more, employ the object-oriented programming language and software platform known as Java. Java’s syntax and principles are derived from the C and C++ languages. The portability of Java is a key benefit while creating applications. It is relatively simple to transfer Java program code from a notebook computer to a mobile device once you have done so.
4. Golang: Go is a general-purpose open-source programming language that is sometimes known as Golang. To construct stable and effective software, Google engineers created the language Go. It is statically typed and explicit, mostly resembling C. Go works using “goroutines,” which are lightweight processes that enable additional efficiency. Go also makes use of a number of packages to manage dependencies effectively. Google, Cloudflare, Dropbox, MongoDB, Netflix, SoundCloud, Twitch, and Uber are a few companies that leverage the Go programming language.
5. Python: Python is a well-liked general-purpose programming language that has a broad range of uses. High-level data structures, dynamic typing, dynamic binding, and a host of other characteristics make it equally useful for creating sophisticated applications as they do for connecting different components with scripting. Additionally, it may be enhanced to execute C or C++ code and make system calls to almost all operating systems.

Conclusion

Software developers are in high demand. Modern technology, which, in turn, is mostly dependent on software developers, is a must for almost every firm. You should learn how to write code if you want to work as a software developer. You can choose from a variety of programming languages available in the market to start learning.