What is Computer Programming and How to Become a Computer Programmer?

Computer programming is the process of writing code to facilitate specific actions in a computer, application or software program, and instructs them on how to perform. Computer programmers are professionals that create instructions for a computer to execute by writing and testing code that enables applications and software programs to operate successfully.

Joe Cote

Sep 6, 2022

 

 

 

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Computers can do amazing things, from basic laptops capable of simple word processing and spreadsheet functions to incredibly complex supercomputers completing millions of financial transactions a day and controlling the infrastructure that makes modern life possible. But no computer can do anything until a computer programmer tells it to behave in specific ways. That’s what computer programming is all about.

At its most basic, computer programming is little more than a set of instructions to facilitate specific actions. Based on the requirements or purposes of these instructions, computer programming can be as simple as adding two numbers. It can also be as complex as reading data from temperature sensors to adjust a thermostat, sorting data to complete intricate scheduling or critical reports or taking players through multi-layered worlds and challenges in games.

Dr. Cheryl Frederick, executive director of STEM programs at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), said computer programming is a collaborative process, with a variety of programmers contributing during the development of a piece of software. Some of that development can last decades. For software like Microsoft Word released in 1983, for instance, programmers have been tweaking and improving it for years.

"The hope is that the computer program will become such a widely adopted system that it needs long-term support, particularly to extend its current functionality," Frederick said. "The terms computer software and computer programming are used interchangeably except software can get rather large."