This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Henry Ryeder. Find him on Instagram at @henryryeder. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
What is the paragon of computational genius? The bespectacled humility of Bill Gates? The turtlenecked suaveness of Steve Jobs? The managerial brashness of Elon Musk? The dead, doleful eyes of Sam Altman?
The answer is none of the above. The only macho Silicon Valley presence I’ll ever swoon over is that of Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014. In 2006, Ballmer hosted a Windows conference, leaping onto the stage (sweaty armpits and all) to extol the importance of development. “Developers, developers, developers, developers, developers!”, Ballmer screams in this clip. The moment became an early meme, driving passion into the hearts of carpal-tunnel-prone professionals for years to come.
Ballmer’s wholeheartedly sincere “Developers” schtick might rouse excitement for the process, but there are more practical reasons to want to pursue a career in computer programming. In 2022, computer programmers in the United States made an average salary of $97,800, skyrocketing over $20,000 in the last 14 years. While the work being done in these jobs might not be the most spiritually rewarding, it will certainly pay enough to allow you to go on a yoga retreat.
Aside from the more bloodthirsty, capitalist attractions of computer programming, knowing how to code is a useful skill for anyone in 2024. You can learn how to design your own website, build your own mobil application, and understand the inner workings of the internet. In other words, a knowledge of computer programming can be argued as key to being an informed citizen of the 21st Century. But I know you’re here to know, “How do I get better at programming?” So, without further ado, let’s go over some useful tips.
Programming
First off, let’s be clear about the terms that we use. Computer Programming, or “Coding”, can be effectively described as the composition and compilation of rules and functions that govern a computer. This can entail web development, mobile application development, hardware engineering, systems engineering, and machine learning, to name just a few.
Without rehashing too much rote history, programming has been essential to American life for more than forty years, running the markets of the world, accessing the transfer of capital and credit, and communicating weather data across continents. It’s also evolved as the internet has evolved, becoming something that most people can easily learn. So what are the fundamentals?
Languages
A programming language is a way for coders to communicate with computers. Programmers use these languages to compose and compile the rules for computers to follow. While there are several different programming languages, let’s stick to the ones you’ll hear about mostly. There are three main types of programming languages: Procedural, Functional, and Object Oriented.
Procedural: Procedural languages use “procedures or functions to abbreviate and categorize the code into reusable blocks.”
C is the most common procedural language and one that you’ll hear about often in opposition to the hipper, easier ones you’ll be tempted to learn. Developed in 1972, C can be used in both applications and technologies. C is actually relatively easy to learn, it’s getting creative that can be difficult. As it’s missing data structures such as a list or dictionary, you’ll have to learn to implement your own assets.
You’ll have to learn low-level memory management and how to implement algorithms.
Knowing C is pretty much mandatory for becoming a Systems Engineer (one who monitors an overall systems structure.) Knowing C will also make game development easier (more on that below.) Yet don’t let all this lingo fret you, learning C will make learning most other programming languages a breeze. You also don’t have to learn C!
Object-Oriented: Object-oriented programming languages present objects as definitions for data and behavior.
Object-Oriented programming languages hide more complex systems within the objects, allowing quick construction without the street of the “internal workings of respective objects.” Some of these languages include Java, Python, C++, and Ruby.
It’s important to note that these different language types are meant to categorize, not exclude. Some of these object-oriented languages are also…
Scripting Languages: These languages utilize easily comprehensible shortcuts to aid in rapid, intuitive coding. These are among the languages you’ll probably be most inclined toward learning.
These include Python, by far one the easiest language, as well as one whose popularity is skyrocketing. Python has a high-level data structure and built-in libraries for quick implementation. As a rookie wanting to get into coding, Python is a great place to start.
Basic Understandings
It’s important to have a rudimentary sense of some other concepts. While these languages are all useful, you should familiarize yourself with some cornerstone technologies of the internet, such as CSS, HTML, and Java Script.
HTML: Hyper Text Markup Language defines the content and structure of web content. Think of HTML as the foundation.
CSS: Cascading Style Sheets is a style sheet language used for styling and laying out webpages. Think of it as the interior design.
Java Script: Java Script is a programming language that makes the web interactive, allowing pop-ups, embeds, videos, and so forth. Think of it as the electrical and plumbing system.
These components are much more straightforward than the more complicated programming systems listed above, but they are the building blocks of so much of the internet. Have an understanding of these before you fully begin your programming journey.
Other Tips
I’ve obviously just scratched the surface to give an overview of some fundamentals about computer programming. Listing these tools isn’t meant to overwhelm you, it should simply give you a better sense of where to start.
It’s also important to mention that there’s a million things I didn’t mention: Machine Learning, Operating Systems, Linux, Frontend, Hardware Engineering, Backend, Meta Frameworks…all concepts you’ll need to grasp as you move forward. But this brief overview should provide you with a better understanding of the basics.
Lastly, I ‘ll add that it’s important to go for books and flashcards in your learning process over videos. This will allow you to quickly go back and forth between your education and practice without being overwhelmed or confused. If you are a video-learner, ASMR Coding Videos are great to put on in the background and just get a better sense of process.
Did this help you on your journey to start programming? Leave a comment below!
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