Some Basic Things About Computer

[Marquez Feliciano]

When most people hear the word computer, they think of a personal computer such as a desktop or laptop. However, computers come in many shapes and sizes, and they perform many different functions in our daily lives. When you withdraw cash from an ATM, scan groceries at the store, or use a calculator, you're using a type of computer.

The second type of computer you may be familiar with is a laptop computer, commonly called a laptop. Laptops are battery-powered computers that are more portable than desktops, allowing you to use them almost anywhere.

A server is a computer that serves up information to other computers on a network. For example, whenever you use the Internet, you're looking at something that's stored on a server. Many businesses also use local file servers to store and share files internally.

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I'm sure he was exaggerating here for effect; as much as I admire his 1972 "The Humble Programmer" paper, it's hard to square that humility with the idea that choosing the wrong programming language will damage the programmer's mind. Although computer languages continue to evolve, the largest hurdle I see isn't any particular choice of language, but the fact that programmers can write FORTRAN in any language. To quote Pogo, we have met the enemy, and he is us.

I mentioned in an earlier post the curious collision of early console gaming and programming that was the Atari 2600 BASIC Programming cartridge. I had to see this for myself, so I bought a copy on eBay.

I also bought a set of the Atari 2600 keypad controllers. The overlays come with the cartridge, and the controllers mate together to make a primitive sort of keyboard. (Also, if you were wondering what kinds of things I do with my ad revenue, buying crap like this is a big part of it, sadly.)

Surprisingly, the manual isn't available anywhere online, so I scanned it in myself. Take a look. It's hilarious. There is a transcribed HTML version of the manual, but it's much less fun to read without the pictures and diagrams.

You'll notice that all the other screenshots of Atari 2600 Basic Programming on the web are essentially blank. That's probably because I'm the only person crazy enough to actually try programming in this thing. It may look painful, but you have no idea until you've tried to work with this funky "IDE". It's hilariously bad. I could barely stop laughing while punching away at my virtual keypads. But I have to confess, after writing my first "program", I got that same visceral little thrill of bending the machine to my will that I've always gotten.

Of course, if you were at all interested in computers, you wouldn't bother programming on a dinky Atari 2600. There were much better options for gaming and programming in the form of home computers. And for the longest time, every home computer you could buy had BASIC burned into the ROM. Whether it was the Apple //, Commodore 64, or the Atari 800, you'd boot up to be greeted by a BASIC prompt. It became the native language of the hobbyist programmer.

It's true that if you wanted to do anything remotely cutting-edge with those old 8-bit Apple, Commodore and Atari home computers, you had to pretty much learn assembly language. I don't recall any compiled languages on the scene until the IBM PC and DOS era, primarily Turbo Pascal. Compiled languages were esoteric and expensive until the great democratization of Turbo Pascal at its low, low price point of $49.99.*

Even if you lacked the programming skills to become the next David Crane or Will Wright, there were still a lot of interesting games and programs you could still write in good old BASIC. Certainly more than enough to figure out if you enjoyed programming, and if you had any talent. The Creative Computing compilations were like programming bibles to us.

For a long, long time, if you were interested in computers at all, you programmed in BASIC. It was as unavoidable and inevitable as the air you breathed. Every time you booted up, there was that command prompt blinking away at you. Why not type in some BASIC commands and see what happens? And then the sense of wonder, of possibility, of being able to unlock the infinitely malleable universe inside your computer. Thus the careers of millions of programmers were launched.

BASIC didn't mutilate the mind, as Dijkstra claimed. If anything, BASIC opened the minds of millions of young programmers. It was perhaps the earliest test to determine whether you were a programming sheep or a non-programming goat. Not all will be good, of course, but some inevitably will go on to be great.

* as an aside, you may notice that Anders Hejlsberg was the primary author of Turbo Pascal and later Delphi; he's now a Technical Fellow at Microsoft and the chief designer of the C# language. That's a big reason why so many longtime geeks, such as myself, are so gung-ho about .NET.

Once a programmer has the position, DSAs still play a role in day-to-day work. Specifically, data structures are a particular way of organizing data so that it can be used most effectively, and there are many to choose from. One of the most commonly used data structures is an array, which holds and indexes items of the same data type such as integers. Additional types of data structures include linked lists, which organize data into linear, sequentially-linked order; and stacks, which allow programmers to access recently placed items first, as if they were picking up the first book in a pile.

Algorithms, meanwhile, are a set of instructions programmers give to computers to solve a problem, much like the recipe one might give a cook. These step-by-step guidelines can perform a variety of tasks, including searching and sorting data in a way that is ordered and makes sense.

One of the basic expectations of any programmer is that they are familiar with core database concepts. This is because data is the fuel companies run on, and it proliferates almost every aspect of every project.

NoSQL, on the other hand, is a database management system (DBMS) that stores and accesses data using key-values, rather than relationally, which offers some additional flexibility. One example of a NoSQL database is MongoDB, an open-source program which can be used for high-volume document data storage, and deals with document structure variations nicely.

Of course, there are many more systems and software packages to learn when mastering databases, but having a strong foundation in database concepts and SQL is an important first step for all programmers.

Cloud computing is experiencing explosive growth, as cloud developers are needed for all businesses who wish to migrate their environments, storage, and digital assets to the cloud. In fact, according to LogicMonitor, 87% of global IT decision makers agree that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated cloud migration for most organizations. In addition, once migrated, businesses will need programmers familiar with the technology necessary to work effectively with cloud-native applications. And, as businesses rely more heavily on data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, work in the cloud becomes even more important since algorithms and models consume significant resources. The result of these business transitions and needs is that cloud engineers and developers, as well as cloud-savvy programmers, are in high demand.

Many professionals consider web development a subset, or specialization of programming. Therefore, it only makes sense for those who plan on working in web development to learn the associated languages and tech, right? Well, maybe not.

Containers are preconfigured environments that package code and other dependencies an application needs to run, without the need for downloads to a physical computer. Unlike traditional methods where code is developed in a specific computing environment and transferred to a new location resulting in bugs (i.e., virtual machines), containers bundle the application code with related configuration files, libraries, and dependencies which minimizes the potential for bugs. In addition, because the operating system (OS) files are included, containers virtualize the operating system and the application can run anywhere. As a result, programmers are able to develop and deploy applications in a faster and more secure manner.

A basic example of container usage in education is a teacher preparing for their Python programming class. By using a container, they are able to grab the necessary application, libraries, and dependencies (including the OS), making it easier to prepare while ensuring learners will have the necessary access to learn Python from anywhere.

Text editors are programs that enable the opening, viewing, and editing of plain text files. Because text editors do not add formatting to text, like word processing programs do, programmers can use text editors to easily write and edit in programming and markup languages. In addition, text editors help programmers create documentation files and maintain configuration files.

Soft skills are different from technical (hard) skills in that they are a combination of personal attributes and interpersonal skills that enable professionals to work more effectively and more harmoniously with others.

1. Communication: The ability to explain ideas or work methods clearly, ask and answer questions productively in a group setting, and help reduce conflict through respectful dialog is important to succeeding in coding.

For those who lack the time or financial resources required to pursue a traditional degree, or want to explore their options before making a commitment, independent study can be the right choice. Also, many who prefer a slower tempo and self-directed approach pursue independent study of a programming language to enhance their existing skill set. Common options include:

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