{"id":21846,"date":"2023-01-10T17:06:13","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T16:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/?p=21846"},"modified":"2023-01-10T17:06:13","modified_gmt":"2023-01-10T16:06:13","slug":"what-is-coding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/web-development\/what-is-coding\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Coding? A Beginner\u2019s Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever wondered how many people it takes to build all the technology around us? Better still, curious about the behind-the-scenes of how the tech actually works?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

You’ve probably come across the term “coding,” and have\u00a0<\/span>heard that it’s a great place from which to launch your tech career.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But what is coding really? Is it the same as programming? Where are you likely to use code? Is it that important, or is it over-glorified?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How does it really work \u201cbehind the scenes\u201d? What kind of jobs can you get with coding skills? And where would you get started with learning how to code?<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s explore the answers to these questions in this article. If there’s one topic that you’d like to get to first, just use the clickable menu:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Coding definition<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. What\u2019s the difference between coding and programming?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. What is coding used for?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  4. Why is coding so important?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  5. How does coding work?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. Is coding hard to learn?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  7. Which jobs use coding?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  8. How to learn coding<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Are you ready to start discovering all about coding? Then let’s begin!<\/p>\n

    1. Coding definition<\/span><\/h2>\n

    So, what is coding? Coding can be defined as writing instructions for computers and other hardware. The computer is then able to read the instructions (called \u201cprograms\u201d) and do what you have asked it to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Computer language is different from human language. A human needs to learn \u201ccomputer language\u201d (commonly known as programming languages) to write programs that the computer can understand.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Some \u201ccomputer languages\u201d include Python, Java, C, C++, and JavaScript<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Computers use compilers and interpreters to convert programs into what\u2019s known as machine-readable code.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cMachine code\u201d is information stored in zeros and ones (binary digits).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    A person who writes programs is called a coder or programmer.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Coding and programming are usually used interchangeably. But is that correct? Let\u2019s compare the two terms in the next section.<\/span><\/p>\n

    2. What\u2019s the difference between coding and programming?<\/span><\/h2>\n

    In the previous section, we saw that the terms “coding” and “programming” can be used interchangeably. This is because both involve writing programs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The two terms, however, differ in terms of their scope. In addition to writing code, a programmer is also involved in high-level problem-solving.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    For example, a programmer might advise on the technologies that should be used in a project. This is because they have things like security and scalability in mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    A coder\u2019s responsibility, on the other hand, will involve writing code that results in a certain user story being fulfilled.<\/span><\/p>\n

    For example, if the user story is that Alex should be able to receive an email when they click the “forgot password” button, a coder will write a program to help Alex retrieve their password.<\/span><\/p>\n

    A programmer will need to take a factor like scalability into consideration when choosing the database to be used to store Alex\u2019s data. (Will the database still work when thousands of users are simultaneously trying to retrieve their passwords?)<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you want to further explore the similarities and differences between these terms, check out <\/span>our coding vs programming guide<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    3. What is coding used for?<\/span><\/h2>\n

    It\u2019s quite difficult to come across a company, organization, or industry where coding isn\u2019t used.<\/span><\/p>\n

    All the big tech companies\u2014Meta, Amazon, Netflix, Google, and Apple (known as MANGA, MAANG, or MAGMA)\u2014use code.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Small businesses and organizations also use code to build their websites.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The magnitude with which code is used differs. Giant tech companies will use code for most of their products. They\u2019ll also use different programming languages<\/a>, depending on the product or service that they are building or offering.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Small businesses and organizations are less likely to use a wide range of languages since they have fewer products, but it\u2019s still an important part of how they function.<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you think about it, coding is used for practically everything.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s a list of some ways code can be used:<\/span><\/p>\n