SEC-S20W1:Who Is A Programmer? What Should You Have Done Before To Become A Programmer In The Future?

We are living in a digital era, and such programming has become a necessity in today's world. If one wants to become a programmer, he desires a lucrative job, but there are things he needs to acquaint himself with first before becoming a programmer; this homework post covers this, but let us, first of all, get to know who a programmer is.

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A PROGRAMMER

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The word programmer is derived from the word program. These programs have to do with computer programs, that is, a set of orders given to a computer to perform in a language(code) understood by a computer. Therefore, a programmer is someone who gives his computer a set of orders to perform in a language(code) understood by the computer. In today's world people often refer to programmers as software developers.

From the above definition of a programmer, we can discern the job of a programmer which is to write programs in the computer language which are normally in code, then test if it works as he wants it to, resolve any problem if there's any which is a process known as debugging.

There are tools a programmer must use to enable him to perform his job well, tools such as text editors and integrated development environments( IDEs). A programmer can work from any part of the world, even from his house, because it's an internet-based job.

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PROFESSION OF A PROGRAMMER

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A profession can said to be an occupation or area of expertise in which one chooses to be skilled. The job of a programmer is to write programs in the computer language that are normally in code, then test if it works as he wants it to, and resolve any problem if there's any, which is a process known as debugging. A programmer can;

1. WORK AS A WEB DEVELOPER: Web development has to do with developing or creating functional websites. An example of a website is steemit.com. Therefore, a programmer can work in a web developing firm or even develop functional websites by himself. He is responsible for creating the website, test-running the site, correcting errors, and setting the interface for the website.

2. WORK AS COMPUTER PROGRAMMER: In firms, he will have to write programs, edit code, and ensure the program works well.

3. WORK AS COMPUTER SYSTEMS ENGINEERS: He ensures easy runs of the system or maintains the system; he also ensures the security of the system.

4. WORK AS FRONT-END DEVELOPER: He ensures the elements of the site are working well, and he is the one who creates these elements. He creates the website in a way it can be used.

5. WORK AS MOBILE APP DEVELOPER: He creates Apps for mobile phones, apps such as Canva, steemit app, etc. In all, his job is designing or creating software code for mobile phones.

6. WORK AS SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS: He specializes in designing software programs for computers.

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OBSTACLES OR CHALLENGES A PROGRAMMER MAY FACE

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The easy mistake new programmers make is just picking computers and starting writing programs. They may face some challenges or obstacles such as;

1. POOR COMMUNICATION: One may make the mistake of starting to write programs without asking questions from those who are experienced in program writing because they feel intimidated to do so. Not asking questions can lead to unsuccess.

2. NOT UNDERSTANDING USERS OF THE PROGRAM: It may be challenging for developers to know what their clients want because they don't have direct contact with their clients to know what they want. To scale through this problem, the new programmer has to consult UX specialists and marketers since they have the necessary data about the users.

3. NOT HAVING DEBUGGING STRATEGY: Some errors may not be fixed easily, and it may cause headaches for the programmer because he doesn't know how to recreate the mistake. But this can be solved by soliciting help from testers, consulting manuals, and developers.

4. NOT KEEPING UP WITH TECHNOLOGY: A new programmer may not know that he has to update his program to meet the needs of his clients. He should learn the current trends to update his program and improve his skills

5. NOT HAVING PROPER SELF-MANAGEMENT: A new programmer may be inclined to write complex programs in bulk, which would normally result in errors that may not be corrected if care is not taken. To mitigate this, he has to divide complex programs into smaller ones to make them manageable.

6. UNDERESTIMATING SECURITY: New programmers are inclined to ignore security. New programmers may only concentrate on writing error-free code rather than looking out for security. To solve this problem, a new programmer will have to insert parameterized queries in SQL.

7. BORROWING CODES CARELESSLY: Having to deal with another person's code results in a problem.

8. WORKING WITH CODES THAT ARE UNCLEANED: New programmers are not conversant with the use of syntax and its strictness. As such their works often result in errors. He can resolve this by starting with the first error code to correct and minding the compiler objecting when it first sees a problem, not waiting till the problem occurs.

9. DELIVERING CODES THAT ARE OVERLOAD

10. NOT BACKING UP CODES: New programmers may be very eager to create programs and forget to save their codes. He can mitigate this problem by backing up his codes and documenting regularly.

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WHAT CAN SOMEONE DO IF HE WANTS TO BECOME A GOOD PROGRAMMER

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I think that one needs to obtain a formal education if he intends to become a programmer in the future. This could be done online or physically, but physical courses are advantageous.

1. Studying computer science at the university can help, but it's just a foundation. Someone who intends to become a programmer in the future should obtain professional learning through a professional course.

2. After obtaining formal education, he should ask questions from experienced programmers.

3. Make a consultation to know what people who will use your program need

4. start with easy programs before writing complex ones

5. work under someone first, before working on his own.

When a new programmer is ready to program, I think he should start writing his programs with language that doesn't have data structures or algorithms. The following languages can easily be used by new programmers;

1. CSS
2. HTML
3. JAVA
4. PYTHON

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CONCLUSION

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A programmer is someone who provides his computer a group of orders(in code) to perform in a language(code) understood by the computer. In today's world people often refer to programmers as software developers. The job of a programmer is to write programs in the computer language that are normally in code, then test if it works as he wants it to, and resolve any problem if there's any, which is a process known as debugging. One needs to obtain a formal education if he intends to become a programmer in the future. This could be done online or physically, but physical courses are advantageous.

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