For those who see it from outside the world of technology, the discipline of programming keeps something esoteric, incomprehensible, it is one of the maximum exponents of what the uninitiated call freaks, geeks. But what exactly does it consist of?
A computer program consists of a series of instructions to be executed by a computer. These instructions are developed according to the science of programming.
In summary, programming is the path that leads us to produce a computer program, which runs through a series of rules and principles, which constitute a complete discipline by itself.
Despite the fact that programming languages, the philosophies that give rise to them, and the techniques used with each of them in solving problems are different, the discipline of programming is considered as something unified, since all languages start from a number of common approaches, although their program-building techniques may turn out to be quite different.
Programming has existed since the beginning of the emergence of computer science, although it has advanced and evolved in parallel with the development of the machines that have given rise to it.
At the beginning, the programming was very manual since the computers (a few existing in the world, very large, with little power even for the time and very few generalists) were reprogrammed for each specific task by means of changes in the physical wiring, disconnecting and reconnecting cables in different positions.
This is the purest version of the "machine code", although in the 50s and 60s it gradually disappeared in favor of the introduction of commands thanks to the adoption of screens and keyboards.
However, we have been referring to programming in the era of modern computers, after World War II, when programming as a discipline has its roots in the 19th century.
Although they could not materialize them, various engineers conceived machines for general use.
Specifically, for the Analytical Engine of Charles Babbage, Augusta Ada Byron (1815-1852), Countess of Lovelace, created a series of sequences for the realization of calculations (Ada was a mathematician) that are considered, as a whole, the first computer program of history, thereby making the countess the first programmer.
It should be noted that Ada Byron did not systematize the science of programming. The Ada programming language bears this name precisely in his honor.
From machine code it was passed to high-level languages, created to abstract what was done in machine code, facilitating its learning and use, in addition to simplifying the lists.
After the high-level language program has been developed, it must be "compiled", a process that translates the high-level language into machine code. The latter is restricted to certain uses, such as the development of drivers among others, parts that work directly in contact with the hardware.
Programming is, finally and in summary, the science -and art- of creating algorithms that solve problems, and that are executed on a general-purpose machine -a computer- or a specific-purpose machine.
For its part, it is known as programmers to those in charge of developing this code with instructions for the software to behave in one way or another according to the orders it receives. The programming language it is, on the other hand, the series of parameters and codes that the programmer uses to develop software. There are different types of languages, such as C, BASIC or Ruby.
In addition, there is software engineering, which is dedicated to developing software models for large programs.
Typically, to program a software or application, the programmer must in principle recognize the main problem or task to which the program will be destined, define the requirements and type of operation, design the architecture, implement the program, implement or install it, and then , refine it on the basis of trial and error.
Today there are all kinds of programming languages, some simpler or with the purpose of facilitating the task of developing small applications. Among them, Ruby is one of the most popular in recent years, developed by a Japanese programmer and combining syntax from different languages such as Python or Perl.
Thus, practically any computer user can acquire some programming notions and develop tailor-made applications.
