There are countless definitions of what computer programming is, but the one I use is:
“Programming is how you get computers to solve problems.”
OR
“Programming is the process of creating a set of instructions that tell a computer how to perform a task.”
WHAT IS A PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE?
Computers understand instructions that are written in a specific syntactical form called a programming language. A programming language provides a way for a programmer to express a task so that it could be understood and executed by a computer.
POPULAR PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES 2020
1) Python: Python is an advanced programming language that is interpreted, object-oriented and built on flexible and robust semantics.
2) Java: Java is a general-purpose, object-oriented, high-level programming language with several features that make it ideal for web-based development.
3) JavaScript: JavaScript is a client-side programming language that runs inside a client browser and processes commands on a computer rather than a server. It is commonly placed into an HTML or ASP file. Despite its name, JavaScript is not related to Java.
4) C++: C++ is a general purpose, object-oriented, middle-level programming language and is an extension of C language, which makes it possible to code C++ in a “C style”.
5) C Language: C Language is a structure-oriented, middle-level programming language mostly used to develop low-level applications.
6) Ruby/Ruby on Rails: Ruby is an open-sourced, object-oriented scripting language that can be used independently or as part of the Ruby on Rails web framework.
7) Swift: Swift is Apple’s newest open-source, multi-paradigm programming language for iOS and OS X apps. Swift integrates Objective-C’s named parameters and object-oriented model, while including an advanced compiler, debugger and framework infrastructure.
source: google analytics
HOW TO LEARN PROGRAMMING?
1) Get familiar with a programming language
Getting comfortable with a programming language is the first step towards learning programming. People often start with C, C++, Java, or Python. I personally prefer C++ in the beginning as it is neither too simple (like Python is), nor too deficient in terms of libraries (like C is). C++ is pretty fast and has a good library support too - best of both worlds! Also, C++ is a good choice for competitive programming because it is pretty fast and has the support of Standard Template Library (STL). The choice of the first language is highly subjective based on your interests and goals. You may be interested in front-end, back-end, mobile app development, game development, data science, etc.You can start with learning the basics - syntax, data types, variables, loops, arrays, etc. Try to solve simple implementation-based questions so as to get familiar with these basic concepts.
2) Learn Data Structures and Algorithms
Once you are comfortable with any of the languages mentioned in the above section, the next thing you should do is learning data structures and algorithms. Data structures and algorithms help in building the right aptitude required for programming. Knowledge about the data structures will help you in choosing the right one for the problem you are solving - not all data structures can be used everywhere. When you learn about the algorithms, you will be able to understand the working mechanism of many library functions, which, otherwise, would come across to you as black boxes.
3)Get your hands dirty with competitive programming
Once you have learned data structures and algorithms, you should start solving problems on websites like SPOJ, Codechef, Codeforces, Topcoder, Hackerrank, Geeksforgeeks etc. The more problems you solve, the better it is. It is better, though, to solve problems in increasing order of difficulty. You can sort the problems in descending order of the number of submitted solutions and start solving. After solving around 100 mixed variety problems, you will become confident about your programming skills.
4)Make a project
Now that you have enhanced your problem-solving and programming skills, it is time to create some useful applications. You can pick up some popular web development framework (Django, Flask, Ruby on Rails, etc.) and make a project using it. Making an application will give you a feel of actual software development, which is what most of the programmers do.Once you have made some web development projects, you may like to try your hand at Android or iOS development. Don’t restrict yourself - learn whatever you want to!
5)Explore
Once you are confident about your programming skills and have made some projects, you should now go on to explore the various domains of Computer Science and see what fascinates you the most.
Computer Science is a vast and rich field, with many interesting sub-fields. Some of the popular domains of Computer Science are Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Cryptography, Cloud Computing, Systems Programming, Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, Blockchain, Virtual Reality, Web Development, Mobile App Development, and many more. You should try to explore as many fields as you can so as to know where your interest lies.
