What does someone need to write programs?
Computer programming can be used for various purposes, but what does someone need to write programs?
This tutorial focuses on:
- What does someone need to write programs?
- Access the necessary tools needed to write programs
- Development environments
What does someone need to write programs?
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A text editor
The text editor you use can be anything from a plain text editor with only a few functions to a complex development environment. -
A software tool to turn your source code into meaningful data that the computer can understand
The tool you use should be a compiler and/or an interpreter, depending on the language you're working with and your needs. For example, if you are working with Javascript, you can use the interpreter that is built into a web browser or if you are working with C, you can download a C compiler and/or interpreter to execute your code.
Access the necessary tools needed to write programs
Accessing a text editor in Windows
In Windows, use notepad. Go to Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Notepad or Start -> Run -> Type 'notepad' and press Enter.
Accessing a text editor in Linux
In Linux, use nano. Open a console window -> type 'nano' and press Enter.
Acquiring a compiler/interpreter
There are many free compilers/interpreters available for many languages. To acquire one for whatever language you are working with, go to any search engine and do a search for it based on the language. If you are working with a web language such as Javascript or VBScript, an interpreter for such languages is built right into the web browser so you don't have to download it.
Development environments
A development environment, also known as an integrated development environment is a software tool that provides various functions and features that simplify writing programs.
There are many advantages to using these tools such as syntax highlighting, advanced search capabilities, and built-in reference.
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Syntax highlighting
In a development environment, different parts of the code have different coloring to signify what they represent. This helps improve the readability and context of code and also helps you find errors faster. -
Advanced search capabilities
You can do things like search by letter case (capital or non-capital), search multiple files at once, do regular expression searches and more. -
Built-in reference
Some development environments have a built-in reference to various language's commands and codes which can be very useful for a programmer who may forget something in that language.
Development environments are great, but beginners should not use them. If beginners use development environments, they may never really learn whatever language they are trying to learn since a development environment makes writing code easier.
Beginners should start from the bottom and work their way up, writing source code without any additional help from software (development environments). Once a beginner feels comfortable enough, they can move on to using a development environment.
Learn more about development environments at our Code editors IDE's page