Jargon Every Beginner Programmer Should Know

Software development is one of the most lucrative careers in the world today. However, most programmers find it difficult when they are starting. Fortunately, it does not have to be difficult especially if you pay attention to the tips that we are going to share in this article.

Programming does not involve just writing code, especially for those who are just starting. It involves getting a mindset that will help you to analyze and solve problems. Professionals take it as a tool that helps them engage and solve problems. For beginners to be successful, they need to start thinking like programmers before they can write a single line of code.

There are a number of things programmers need to know before they start their careers in the software development world. They include;

1. Scripting Languages

You might be wondering why you should know about scripting languages. As a developer, you might find yourself repeating some tasks every day. For instance, you might have a task that takes you about ten minutes every two days. That is quite a lot of time in a year.

Instead of spending all this time on a single repetitive task, you can use a scripting language to automate such a task. This makes a scripting language very important especially in saving one time. Examples of scripting languages include JavaScript, Python, and Ruby.

2. APIs

An API is a computing interface that allows the interaction between different software intermediaries. APIs are used to define requests and calls, how to make the calls, conventions to follow and the data formats to be used. 

They are very handy when developing applications that need to share data with other existing applications. For instance, when building an application that needs a maps functionality, you can implement the Google Maps API instead of building the whole application from scratch. The API tutorial here has a step-by-step guide on how to use APIs.

3. Networking Basics

Like we have seen with APIs above, most of the applications being developed today are not standalone, but a client-server type of application. This means that an initiated call will have to go through a network to get to the server and vice versa with the response.

This means that a developer needs to understand how the network works for them to be good at programming. This way, you will find it easy to develop applications that share information with others.

4. Programming Languages

Most beginner programmers struggle with deciding which programming language they should start with. As much as it is advisable to be a master of a certain programming language, it is very important to have at least a basic understanding of famous programming languages such as Java, C++, and Python. 

With these languages, especially Java, you will find it easy to understand many other programming languages that you might encounter. Furthermore, Java comes with many libraries that can do basic to most complicated tasks, and that allows one to do almost anything.

5. Database

When developing applications, you will need to store data that the application uses. For example, if you are building a hotel booking system, you need a database to store the customer details, their booking details, and payment information. This will need a database.

SQL is the most common language used to communicate with a database. It has been used by developers for over three decades now and is quite powerful. As a beginner, this is your go-to language for database management. 

6. Source Control

Source control can be defined as the tools used by developers to store the code they are working on. All professional developers use tools such as SVN and Git for code storage and version control. The most common one today is Git, which is used by over seventy percent of organizations. 

This does not mean that you should just create a Git account and start using it. You are supposed to spend some time learning how to use it since it involves several version control tricks such as merging and branching. With this, you will be on the road to being a professional developer.

Furthermore, source control offers development teams a single source of truth especially when they are faced with problems. It also makes collaboration easy when working as a team since multiple developers can work on the same code while committing and merging their code without having any conflicts.

7. Data Structures

Data Structures, together with algorithms are considered as the building blocks of programming. Any person who wants to be a programmer must have a basic understanding of data structures. If you attended any programming interview, you will notice that data structures make a better percentage of the questions that are asked. This includes basic things such as linked lists and arrays among others.

The key to developing efficient software and algorithms is good data structures. However, some programming languages and design methods consider data structures as the major organizing factors when it comes to software design. An algorithm’s performance also depends on the data structures used to save and request data. This means that data structures should be taken as a very important subject when it comes to programming.

8. Text Editors

There are so many text editors available for programmers today. However, this is not to say that they are all good. First of all, a programmer will rarely write a line of code without using a good text editor. 

When starting, most programmers start with the notepad. Even though it might be good for beginners, it will not help you when writing complex programs. One should take some time studying the top text editors we have today, based on the programming languages that they will be using. 

For example, Visual Studio is good for those using C++ while Eclipse and Sublime Text are good for a number of languages such as Python. These text editors come with functionalities that resemble those of IDEs, making it easier to write code.

Finally, always remember to stick to a single task at any given time. Also, try to learn from other people and even subscribe to newsletters for developers to help you get useful information from around the world with regards to software development. With these tips, you will find it easy to get started with programming.