The Philosophy of Programming

The relevance of programming in the modern world.

Programming languages — C, C++, Java, Python, etc. Most of us are familiar with these terms, but surely everyone, as of now, does not know what actually are these names.

These are some examples of programming languages, and our agenda is to get familiar with aspects related to programming and some of its fundamentals.

What is programming?

It is a verb that means — to create a program. And, the program is a logic. For example — a pen costs $5. How much do 10 pens will cost? We had some logic (i.e. to multiply, in this case) with which we got the outcome. What if the logics are not simple and need some predefined set of instructions, for example, you will get 5% discount if you purchase 10 pens in one go. You may need a calculator as it has become somewhat complex for the human brain to understand. So, the calculator can be thought of as a program which was developed by combining multiple logics and some predefined set of rules to provide a standard for everyone to follow.

That standard defines a programming language. The corollary of this standard has invented the aforementioned programming languages. And using these programming languages, we have developed complex programs — computers, robots, automobiles or any electronic device we have used till date. In other words, these materialistic things are programmed using programming languages as a program is something an abstract.

Why is the need to get familiar with programming?

To understand this, let’s think of a scenario when you were in school and you were not taught Newton’s laws of motion, gravity, and friction. Do you think, you would have been as intelligent as you are now? Does sending a rover to Mars by NASA had fascinated you as much that it really did? No, you felt fascinated cause you could relate it to what you have studied in school.

This is a technical era wherein you are surrounded mostly by the gadgets that are programmed in a certain fashion. We use them, and we’re held responsible for how it affects us and our surroundings. To understand a machine’s behavior, we should be aware of programming fundamentals.

Some reasons to know programming:

1. Programming is the only way to interact with a computer. It can be done either explicitly or implicitly. (someone else has programmed — Operating System).
2. Programming increases our logic and reasoning. We can deliver better problem-solving by modeling our brain in a similar fashion as a computer does. A computer does not have emotions, hence learning their language will enable humans to think rationally without getting affected by our frequent emotional tailspins.
3. If machines are smart, humans who are using them need to be smarter by knowing the anatomy of programming. Machines have boundaries and limitations, while humans are more creative, it’s very important to know the limitations of the machine we are using and to harness the best productivity, basic programming fundamentals are needed.
4. Programming is the foundation of engineering — Mechanical, Civil, Automotive, Aeronautical, etc. Its versatility provides applications in every kind of Engineering since it is the foundation on which various applications are modeled.
5. Legends who brought revolution in technology and made the world a better place by solving people’s problems with technology have said that too — Steve Jobs, Stephen Hawking, Mark Zuckerberg. See below:

Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer because it teaches you how to think. — Steve Jobs

All of my friends who have younger siblings who are going to college or high school — my number one piece of advice is: You should learn how to program. — Mark Zuckerberg

Whether you want to uncover the secrets of the universe, or you just want to pursue a career in the 21st century, basic computer programming is an essential skill to learn. — Stephen Hawking

Which programming language to choose?

To start with programming, the difficult part is to decide which programming language to go for as there are hundreds of programming languages which are used. However, each has its own strengths and weaknesses based on the context in which you want to use them.

For example:

If you’re a beginner to programming, it is recommended to go for Java or Python as Java can be run on any platform which is equipped with JVM (Java Virtual Machine), considered as “write once run anywhere”, and Python is the most user-friendly language.

If you are into low-level programming, i.e. direct access to machine level Hardware, C is the best language. C++ has all the features of C and is an Object-Oriented Programming, mostly used together.

For Web applications, JavaScript, Java, Python, PHP, etc are considered the most suitable programming languages.

In the end, I will suggest you to choose programming language wisely considering the context in which you have to use it. C is the basis of most of the programming languages and many are highly influenced by its syntax. Operating System — UNIX is build entirely using C and, learning C will give you knowledge of the operating system also. It is a middle-level programming language with characteristics of both High-level and Low-level programming language and used in embedded systems. Since most of the languages are derived from C, mastering C language would mean that it becomes extremely easy to learn a new programming language considering the complexity of C.

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