Get To Know the Basics of Coding

In a tech-savvy world, learning how to code is like learning your ABCs. And just like the English alphabet, each coding language has its own set of rules.

From phones and computers, to smart TVs and virtual assistants such as Alexa, everything nowadays seems to contain some sort of code to function. With that, the need for coding experts exponentially grows – and so do the job offers!

With the coding boom going strong, it’s the perfect time for you to learn how to code, even if you’re a total rookie.

If you’re totally lost on where to even start, this guide will help you understand the basics of coding.

Let’s get started.

In very simple words, coding is the process of converting human instructions into a language that a computer can understand and follow. It’s used as a means for communicating with computers and telling a machine what to do upon certain triggers (be it a click, a voice command, or any type of interaction, depending on the device).

If you think about it, everything we have these days is computer-aided. From coffee machines that prepare your coffee before you ever get out of bed to lights that dim out upon voice command – and even refrigerators that wish you a good day.

But coding doesn’t have to be purely AI-related. It’s also what makes your favorite social media work and what allows you to seamlessly add items to your Amazon shopping cart, providing you with an enjoyable online shopping experience.

For such reasons, it is safe to say that coding will be indispensable to the future we aspire to live in.

Without going too deep into the technical aspects (this is a beginner’s guide to coding, after all), what you must understand as a starting point is that we translate our command into code via programming languages (the numerous “alphabets” of the coding world).

In the words of haker.io, “coding means using the programming language to get the computer to behave as desired.“

I read this metaphor once that writing code is a little like writing a cookbook. In a cookbook, you determine a list of steps it takes to create a dish.

Writing code is a very similar process. You need to write down a very precise set of instructions for the computer to accomplish the desired task.

So by now, you know that machines and computers have a language of their own… well, sort of anyway.

A programming language is a formal language made up of a set of strings that produce various kinds of code outputs to make machines function and respond to our commands. Webopedia defines programming languages as “a vocabulary and set of grammatical rules for instructing a computer or computing device to perform specific tasks.”

Programing languages are divided into two categories: high-level and low-level languages.

Unlike what you might assume, high-level languages are easier to learn than low-level ones. That is because they are closer to English (the ‘high’ aspect actually means its proximity to the human language). Some of the most well-known high-level languages include C, C++, Java, and Python. These are used to develop web, desktop, and mobile applications.

Low-level languages, on the other hand, are specific to the architecture and hardware of the computer. It’s often cryptic and not human-readable (binary). These are machine-friendly languages that require an assembler for translation.

In the words of Geeks For Geeks, “The main difference between the high-level language and low-level language is that programmers can easily understand or interpret or compile the high-level language in comparison to a machine. On the other hand, machines can easily understand the low-level language in comparison to human beings.”

Every type of programming language has a different benefit, usage, and advantage. So it’s not uncommon for beginners to be unsure on where to even start.

There are a few programming languages that have been a popular choice among coders for the past few years. To make your life easier, here are the 5 easiest programming languages for you to start with, even if you’re completely new to coding:

1. HTML

Every beginner’s course to learn coding begins with learning how to create an HTML page. This is because HTML is one of the simplest languages to learn and is a skill people need to know to start coding. Even a little knowledge of HTML can have a huge positive impact on your career (regardless if you work in tech or not).

HTML is used to structure a web page and all its content. For example, content can be structured within a set of paragraphs, headings, a list of bulleted points, links, images, and data tables (in other words, HTML tells the browser how to display the content). The thing is, HTML can create only static and plain pages. This means that if you want to create more dynamic pages, then PHP is the way to go about it (more on that further below).

#2. CSS CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is used to design the layout of the web browser page, and it includes designing the font, background color, animations, hyperlinks, etc. So while HTML is used to structure a web document (defining things such as headlines, images, paragraphs, images, video, and other media), CSS comes through and specifies your document’s style. This means that CSS gives web developers more control over how web pages will look, as opposed to HTML.

P.S. It’s important to note that HTML and CSS are not necessarily considered programming languages – they’re simply page structure and style information. The reason they’re included in this list is that, before moving on to JavaScript and other programming languages, you need to know the basics of HTML and CSS. They are on the front end of every web page and application.

#3. Java Java is relatively simple to learn. It reads like English, and there is a lot of work out there for entry-level Java programmers. It’s a computing platform where you can develop applications (such as for Androids) and back-end web development.

It’s one of the most widely used programming languages. That’s because it was designed for flexibility, allowing developers to write code that would run on any machine, regardless of architecture or platform. In other words, Java lets you develop for both small applications and large end-to-end enterprise solutions.

#4. Python Python is another easy-to-learn coding language. That's one of the main reasons behind its rapidly increasing popularity among beginners learning to code. Why? Well, Python has a syntax that allows developers to write programs with fewer lines than some other programming languages.

It’s a general-purpose coding language. This means that, unlike HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, Python can be used for other types of programming and software development that go beyond web development – ** also being used for desktop applications and even game development.**

#5. PHP PHP is a scripting language embedded into HTML. It's frequently used for web development and to manage dynamic content, databases, session tracking, and even build entire e-commerce sites.

Unlike HTML, which is a client-side language (running scripts on the client device), PHP is typically a server-side language (running scripts on the server to deliver dynamic content to webpages in response to user actions).

According to Guru99, “in terms of market share, there are over 20 million websites and applications on the internet developed using PHP scripting language”. These include social media, blogs, and eCommerce stores.

Now that you understand the basic ABCs of coding (i.e. the elementary programming languages out of hundreds of others), maybe you find yourself inclined towards learning more about them.

But just in case you’re still not convinced, here are 5 quick benefits of learning how to code:

#1. Knowing to code makes your job application stands out The world is becoming more competitive every day. With younger generations seemingly coming out of the womb holding a smartphone and taking a birth selfie, it can sometimes feel like we’re lagging in our CVs, regardless of your own professional experiences so far. So why not add a little spice to your business expertise?

Even if you’re applying for a position that has nothing to do with coding per se, it’s still a well-known, desired skill. By knowing how to code, you’ll automatically put yourself a step ahead of your competition.

#2. It enhances your problem-solving skills Coding is essentially about creating solutions to the problems faced while transmitting data. Therefore, knowing how to code helps you become more apt and creative in problem-solving.

Hilary Bird, Senior Developer at CenturyLink, stated that learning how to code has encouraged her to approach situations from a newer, more rational perspective. She says, “I can break problems down into small, separate parts and figure out how each is affecting the other. This helps me decide what area of the problem to focus on first.”

#3. You become the master of your technology Coding helps you understand the fundamentals of how that specific technology works. A lot of our ideas are dreams that are never acted upon because we don’t understand how to work the tools available to us.

Knowing how to build a website or develop a program with your own hands goes a long way towards achieving those dreams. What’s better, not having to look for a coder saves you both time and money. Plus it means you have the power to redesign your ideas as they develop.

#4. Endless job opportunities With the increasing demand for technology, software engineering and programming are the fastest-growing job opportunities all over the world. And coding is a fundamental skill for such jobs. Plus, there is currently a shortage of skilled professionals worldwide, parallel to a huge talent need, so learning to code can be an easy route into an open field of work that is highly profitable.

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