Programming is the process of creating a set of instructions that a computer can follow to perform specific tasks. It involves designing and implementing algorithms, which are step-by-step procedures for solving problems, by writing code in one or more programming languages.

Key Principles of Programming

Programming can be thought of as a collaboration between humans and computers. Humans create instructions for a computer to follow (code) in a language that computers can understand. This enables many activities we do daily, such as using computers or phones, powering financial services, and even space exploration.

Coding vs. Programming

While often used interchangeably, coding and programming have different definitions. Coding refers to the act of writing code, while programming refers to creating a set of instructions for a computer to follow, which can include tasks beyond just writing code, such as working with data structures and algorithms.

How Programming Works

At its core, programming tells a computer what to do. Although there are many different coding languages, a computer can only understand machine language or object code, which is written in binary (a string of ones and zeros). Translating code from human-readable form to machine-readable form depends on two types of programming languages: