Programming is all about understanding a problem. The programming this article talks about is mostly procedural - how to tell a computer to do stuff.This is great and all--the article is right as far as it goes--but the real programming starts when we develop new models. Moving from assembly to object oriented programming changed the way we _thought_ about programming.There is NO GUARANTEE that programming will always be about telling a computer how to *do* X. SQL, one of the most important programming languages of most web sites (this one included!), does not involve telling the computer how to do something--just what results you want back.That doesn't mean that programming is likely to stop being about problem defining and solving anytime soon; just that we should be careful not to think too narrowly.-----Also, I have to add:What the essay describes [is to] programming[as]paragraph writing [is to] English literature.
Fun :-)I spent a lot of money a while back on a home study course to learn VB as I really wanted to work in IT and thought it would be my big "in". Since then I have moved into an IT based roll but it's not doing programming but rather more helpdesk and break-fix work. I do enjoy and good "problem", especially the ones that require more then just a simple reboot, so for me programming was enjoyable as I liked the whole process of creating something and then debugging it! Admittedly my most complex program was a game of Pong, but I did managed to implement some basic AI to allow you to play against a computer opponent and varying difficulty levels (basically the computer paddle moved quicker and tracked the ball more accurately)
But it is very close to machine code and not considered a language readily understandable for humans. That was my point. And just out of curiosity, what did you code in Assembler? As for me, i tried to unlock Mode X on my very first PC, back in the good old days of Future Crew and such.
Thanks Captain Obvious.There are plenty of other programming articles beyond a 5th grade reading level that could have hit the front page. And I'm a dude...
My thought is that programming is a technical job for me. Yet, the key results are measured in terms of how one improves the operations of an organization likely key performance outcomes.Cheers!
"Programming is using a language humans understand, and taking that language to write instructions for a computer to use to achieve a desired result" - good definition, man!
partyonaisle7Jun 3, 2008
Programming is all about understanding a problem. The programming this article talks about is mostly procedural - how to tell a computer to do stuff.This is great and all--the article is right as far as it goes--but the real programming starts when we develop new models. Moving from assembly to object oriented programming changed the way we _thought_ about programming.There is NO GUARANTEE that programming will always be about telling a computer how to *do* X. SQL, one of the most important programming languages of most web sites (this one included!), does not involve telling the computer how to do something--just what results you want back.That doesn't mean that programming is likely to stop being about problem defining and solving anytime soon; just that we should be careful not to think too narrowly.-----Also, I have to add:What the essay describes [is to] programming[as]paragraph writing [is to] English literature.
bassjunkieJun 3, 2008
Fun :-)I spent a lot of money a while back on a home study course to learn VB as I really wanted to work in IT and thought it would be my big "in". Since then I have moved into an IT based roll but it's not doing programming but rather more helpdesk and break-fix work. I do enjoy and good "problem", especially the ones that require more then just a simple reboot, so for me programming was enjoyable as I liked the whole process of creating something and then debugging it! Admittedly my most complex program was a game of Pong, but I did managed to implement some basic AI to allow you to play against a computer opponent and varying difficulty levels (basically the computer paddle moved quicker and tracked the ball more accurately)
smek2Jun 4, 2008
But it is very close to machine code and not considered a language readily understandable for humans. That was my point. And just out of curiosity, what did you code in Assembler? As for me, i tried to unlock Mode X on my very first PC, back in the good old days of Future Crew and such.
pizzzaJun 4, 2008
Programming is the design and implementation of algorithms (and the maintenance of those implementations) within some automated execution environment.Algorithm is "a finite set of unambiguous instructions performed in a prescribed sequence to achieve a goal."[1]1. <a class="user" href="http://www.bartleby.com/61/78/A0197800.html">http://www.bartleby.com/61/78/A0197800.html</a>
Closed AccountJun 9, 2008
Thanks Captain Obvious.There are plenty of other programming articles beyond a 5th grade reading level that could have hit the front page. And I'm a dude...
dalsonadosdJun 25, 2008
My thought is that programming is a technical job for me. Yet, the key results are measured in terms of how one improves the operations of an organization likely key performance outcomes.Cheers!
findhostcouponsMar 22, 2009
"Programming is using a language humans understand, and taking that language to write instructions for a computer to use to achieve a desired result" - good definition, man!