Coding means writing step-by-step instructions that can get a computer to perform a task. In this article, I will take you through what coding is and how to become a coder.
With coding, we can make computers do simple tasks like adding two or more numbers to complex tasks like making music, moving a robot around a room, or flying a rocket to Mars.
What is Coding?
A computer can’t do anything on its own, it just sits there like a dumb box until it is told exactly what to do. Because computers cannot think for themselves and can only do what they are told, coders must think for them and carefully write their instructions. Those instructions are known as coding.
As you learn to code, you can write your programs and get the computer to do what you want. It’s a bit like having an electronic pet that you can learn to take tricks on.
To tell a computer what to do, you have to learn a programming language. A programming language acts as a translator between the coder and the computer. The coder gives instructions using a programming language, and then the compiler or interpreter translates these instructions into the binary language which is easily understood by the computer.
Visual languages are easy to learn for beginners, while professional coders use text-based languages. For example, Scratch is a visual programming language. This is ideal for creating interactive games, animations and stories. You write code in Scratch by chaining blocks of instructions together. While Python, C ++, Java, etc. are text-based programming languages. In these languages, coders write instructions using words, abbreviations, numbers and symbols.
How To Learn Coding?
To learn coding, you just need to learn a few basic rules and commands, and then you can start writing programs to suit your skills and interests. If you like science, for example, you can build an app that draws graphs from your test results. Or you can use your artistic skills to design an alien world for your own video game.
There are two most important skills that you need to learn coding easily they are:
- Think logically
- Pay attention to detail
Now let’s go through both these skills one by one to understand why these skills are necessary to learn coding.
Think Logically:
Coders need to think logically and should be careful while writing instructions. If the instructions are not quite correct or if the steps are in the wrong order, a program will not run correctly. Think through each step and make sure things go in a logical order, after all, you wouldn’t put on your coat before your sweater.
Pay Attention to Detail:
If you are good at puzzles, you will probably be a great coder. An important skill in coding is spotting errors in your code. These errors are called bugs, and even small bugs can cause big problems.
You should be eagle-eyed while spotting misspellings and mistakes with the logic or order of your instructions. Debugging a program can be tricky, but learning from your mistakes is a great way to improve your coding skills.
Here are some of the free resources to learn coding by using C++ and Python programming language:
I hope you liked this article on what is coding and how to learn it. Feel free to ask your valuable questions in the comments section below.
