What is programming?
Definition
Programming is the process of designing and building an executable computer program to accomplish a specific computing result or perform a specific task.
Programming knowledge is the understanding of fundamental principles in software development.
What you can do with it
If you just know how to program you won't get far. You will need to learn how to code in order to do that. For that you will have to pick a programming language (more on that later).
But remember!
Programming knowledge will be necessary in order to write more complex programs as we progress in this curriculum.
Each language executes these principles differently or emphasizes some of them more but the concepts stay the same!
Coding vs Programming
So you might ask: What is the difference between coding and programming?
The difference is the level of specificity.
You code in one (or more) programming language(s).
If you're a good coder, you're good at that particular tech stack.
If you're a good programmer you understand the underlying principles and can transfer that knowledge across the syntax of a certain programming language.
Note:
Programming is the logic behind what you code.
Coding is the execution of these principles in a specific programming language.
Why you can be a good coder but a bad programmer at the same time
You can be let's say good at writing Python code but terrible at understanding the concept of functions.
Even though you learned them in Python you still struggle to apply the concept (not it's implementation, the concept itself) in similiar contexts.
This leads to just relearning the implementation for each new language but never understanding the core concept behind it.
