Can someone tell me the very basics of how computer programming works? [closed]

Answer 1

Very simply, computer programming is the act of giving the computer a set of instructions in a language that it can understand. Programmers normally write instructions in a high-level programming language, and those instruction then get translated into the binary language that the computer understands. Programs that do this translation are called compilers.

Answer 2

A good book that talks about computers for non-engineers is 'Code' by Charles Petzold. I don't recall exactly if it covers exactly your question, but I think so. If you are interested enough to go farther it's a good choice.

Code http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/11MYtZPhJEL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA198_SH20_OU01_.jpg

Answer 3

In the simplest case, a program called a compiler takes the programming language words you write and converts them to machine language which the computer can understand. Compilers understand a specific programming language (C#, Java, etc) which has very specific rules about how you explain to the compiler what you want it to do.

Interpretation and understanding of those rules is most of what Stack Overflow is about. :)

Answer 4

As people are already noting, there's some pre-program (usually a "compiler") which translates the words of your program into a more long-winded "lower level" language called "machine code".

The machine code consists of very simple instructions which are already "understood" by (or at least make sense in terms of) the underlying processor. For example, an instruction which copies data out of a memory location, and into a special part of the processor (called the "accumulator" where simple arithetic can be done to it.) or an instruction to add the contents of two of the slots in the accumulator.

The complex, sophisticated programs you see (including the compilers and interpreters of higher level languages) are all, ultimately built out of these simple instructions being run millions of times.

Answer 5

I have two crazy suggestions. Go back in time!

1. Get a programmable calculator.

A programmable calculator is a regular calculator, you can do the usual stuff with it: enter numbers, enter operation signs, and after pressing the equel key, you can read the result on the tiny display. In addition, programmable calculator can store short sequences of keystrokes as a program, which later can be "replayed" with a single keypress. Say, you set this sequence as a program (one instruction per line):

(Start)
*
2
+
1
=
(Stop)

Now you have a custom operation: pressing the "program" key (or which one you've assigned to) it will run the sequence without your further assistance and will multiply the content of the display with 2 and will add 1 - this is a program!

Later you can try more enhanced techniques: storing temporary results to memory, branch on result.

Pros:

• A calculator is a familiar environment. You already have the basics.
• It's simple. You have not to learn lot of instructions and programming techniques.
• Modern programming languages are far from the ground, while programmable calculators "are on it". You will learn the fundamentals: memory, branch, elementary operations. Computers works very same (on the machine language level).
• You will meet low-level problems: memory, division by zero.
• It's extremly cool.

Cons:

• It's obsolete. You have to learn a modern programming language, which will be different.
• It's uncomfortable (hm, it's a pro instead: you can't use comfortable click-and-play toys). Maybe you can't even save your code.
• It's not a trivial task to get one. You can try on E-Bay. Also, there will be no problem with documentations, most modells have large user groups on the internet.

The best choice IMHO the TI-59.

2. Learn the BASIC language with the help of an emulator.

When you turn on a machine which have a built-in BASIC language interpreter, it's ready to accept your commands, and performs just as you type. First, you can try some instructions in command mode, e.g.:

PRINT 5*4

It will print "20" in the next line, wow. If you've played enough in command mode, you can organize the instructions into programs, then you can run, edit, enhance it.

Pros:

• BASIC is a real programming language, designed for education.
• When you later meet a modern programming language, and will discover the differences, you will see the progress of the programming techniques (e.g. procedural, structures etc.) of the last 30 years.
• It's cool, especially if you get a real one, not just an emulator.

Cons

• It's obsolete. Almost 30 years passed since that age.
• Old machines are compact, closed systems. There are no files (in the form today we use them), folders, file types, it may confuse beginners.

My favourite BASIC system is the Commodore 16 (Plus/4), which is very similar to the famous C64. but more comfortable. I prefer YAPE emulator, it can save/load memory snapshots or BASIC programs to file.

Answer 6

Programming is where you take a series of steps which solve a certain problem, and write them out in a certain language which requires certain syntax. When you have described those steps in the language, you can use a compiler (as per Greg's comment) which translates from that language into one the computer can interpret.

The art lies in making sure you describe the steps well enough :)