Tag Archives: language

Programming Language 101

Just as I was last week, people who have never had any close contact with programming are afraid that it is extremely difficult. However, it is worth realizing that programming is nothing but a process of learning a new language. Obviously, beginnings are always difficult, but once we learn our first programming language, studying new ones becomes easier. Right now, we are not learning programming because of the need to change a profession, but because it is important to guide our minds to a resourceful way of thinking, which is essential in the field of communication. Even if our careers are/will not be related to programming, these compact skills will help us to better understand the problems that can stand in our way in the future.

What’s more, learning programming involves not only acquiring new knowledge about coding in different languages, but is also a great way to work on ourselves. It is as effective as solving logic puzzles such as sudoku, which helps to train your mind. In addition, programming teaches consistency and organization. Namely, while writing a line of code, we must plan and implement next steps necessary to achieve a goal, which includes application of the most efficient solutions.

To conclude, a good programmer has to be like a writer. He/she should not only know programming languages – most of all, one must be able to think in an analytical way, to break down a problem and prepare component elements from which a given program can be later developed. Just as a writer creates his work to make it interesting for the reader, the programmer creates a program that is supposed to be as effective as possible. Thus, the ability to understand a problem, which often involves the need for interdisciplinary thinking, is essential. However, it all comes down to a programmer facing the need to translate the gathered knowledge into a programming language.

A Little (j)Querious

jQuery is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to add dynamic behavior to HTML elements. Libraries in the JavaScript community are collaborative collections that extend and ease the use of the programming language. For example, jQuery can do the same function as twelve lines of JavaScript in just three. A good analogy to better understand jQuery comes from Codecademy. You can think of JavaScript like a bunch of individual Lego pieces, all the necessary tools to build grand things are there — it just might take a long time. Well, jQuery is like pre-made building tools. So instead of using individual Legos to build a car to put in your town, jQuery is just the car ready to be placed in the larger scheme of what you are building.

While I’m learning these new programming languages, it’s interesting to compare how these are similar to the language (or languages) we speak everyday. So this has me ponder: what in the English Language could be analogous to jQuery? What comes to mind first are contractions for words. Instead of cannot or do not or I have we instead use can’t and don’t and I’ve. These remind me of jQuery because in place of using the individual words to help portray our ideas, we insert pre-packaged words that still get across our point without using so many characters or in most cases combining two words. In both instances, conciseness is key. Lengthy, wordy, and down-right redundant speech is pushed aside for the brief yet comprehensive.

Approaching these programming languages from a linguistic point of view really helps in my understanding of these new concepts. Stepping back and looking at new concepts from a lens in which you are comfortable with is essential to learning. Many things in this universe are connected. There’s certain patterns that exist across species, languages, science, and math. I guess this all goes to say, you’ve always been aware.

Beautiful is better than ugly

I never thought of coding as poetry. I never really thought of coding as anything. My mind refuses to accept that a bunch of zeros and ones can equate to anything other than a bunch of zeros and ones. How the technology we interact with everyday is the brainchild of math and science rather than magic. How can the intricacies of our apps, sites, and platforms be narrowed down to a wire? But the answer is in the term: coding languages. Languages. What encompasses a language? Grammar, technique, vocabulary, and so forth. And what sprouts of a language? Art, literature, film, expression, and poetry. I linger on that last one. The Zen of Python awakened a new meaning to those zeros and ones. A set of 19 aphorisms bordering on the intersection of prose and poetry unravel a complex set of ideas into concise proverbs. After all, simple is better than complex.

It really is so simple. Something created by humans, for other humans. What is a language if not a reflection of humanity?