The Importance of Knowing How to Code - Devam Mondal (Guest-writer)

The progress we have made in the last century is quite insane, to say the least. Computers have obviously transformed our world, and coding has become a necessary skill in many industries. I'll let Devam elaborate on the importance of this skill.

I still find it hard to believe that the first computer was created in 1833. To put that into perspective, the first patent for ballpoint pens was issued in 1888. Humans had created a computer before a ballpoint pen, the same pen found in thousands of classrooms and offices, often taken for granted. Unbelievable.

However, it may come as a surprise that the first computer was nothing like modern-day desktops or laptops. It lacked a screen. It lacked a keyboard. The computer I’m talking about is the Analytical Engine, created by Charles Babbage:

It was an analog computer; a manual computer that relied on gears and other mechanical components to successfully carry out calculations. Certainly not like the 2021 MacBook Pro.

In order for the Analytical Engine to compute calculations, it needed instructions. Ada Lovelace decided to use special punch cards to convey human instructions to the computer. By doing so, Lovelace became the first computer programmer. Once again, a crazy thought. The first programming languages were built using paper and holes instead of compilers and bytecode.

Fast forward to the 21st century, computer programming has long advanced. Instead of instructing computers using punch cards, you can use your mouse and a graphical user interface. You can open up your favorite text editor, write a script in about ten minutes, and execute it immediately, and (hopefully) get the desired outcome.

Computer programming isn’t just limited to conventional home computers anymore. Scripts can be used to automate industrial machinery in factories, allow robots to become more human-like through machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms, as well as make versatile apps on mobile devices.

Computer programming isn’t just limited to researchers or professionals anymore, either. Platforms such as Scratch and code.org have lowered the learning barrier, allowing anyone, even young elementary schoolers, to learn the fundamentals of computer science.

With this, I believe it’s imperative for EVERYONE to at least understand the basics of computer programming. Here’s why:

1. It helps develop problem-solving skills: A large portion of computer science deals with algorithms, which are simply steps to solve a problem. Though some algorithms are extremely complex (especially those focused on machine learning, pathfinding, and dealing with big data), understanding fundamental algorithms such as searching and sorting helps programmers develop a problem-solving mindset. Suppose you are given a problem where you need to find the heaviest apple out of a bundle of twelve. Understanding the aforementioned fundamental algorithms allow you to approach the problem in multiple ways, as well as understand which way is the most efficient. This mindset helps individuals in all professions, not just computer science, optimize their decision-making when solving a problem.

2. It’s lucrative: Computer programming and software engineering are fields with a large amount of scope. Within these fields, there are an endless amount of specializations, ranging from quantum computing to computer vision. Furthermore, these fields are predicted to grow at a large rate. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “employment of software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers is projected to grow 22 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations,” with a median salary of about $110,140.

3. It builds resilience: Oftentimes, when you write programs, you will not get the intended result. Your program might give out the completely wrong result, or even fault to run. The ability to understand problems with your code and troubleshoot them is known as “debugging,” and helps build resilience. It may take minutes to hours to days to fix certain problems. As you fix a problem that takes a while to diagnose and troubleshoot, you develop an ability to “bounce back” from an issue. This ability is incredibly valuable in the workplace because it allows you to approach problems in a calm manner and efficiently.

That was my two cents regarding why everyone should know how to code. Thanks for reading!