Computer Programming
What Is Programming?
Programming is like teaching a computer how to do stuff. Instead of talking to it with words, we write special instructions called code. The computer follows the code step by step, like following a recipe, to do things like play games, show videos, or even drive a robot!
A Quick History
A Long Time Ago (1800s): A smart woman named Ada Lovelace wrote the first “computer instructions” for a machine that wasn’t even built yet!
1940s–1950s: The first computers were HUGE and used punch cards and long strings of 1s and 0s to run programs.
1960s–1980s: New coding languages (like FORTRAN and C) made programming easier to write and understand.
1990s and 2000s: Coding helped build the internet—websites, online games, and social media.
Today: Coding is everywhere—from smartphones to space rockets!
Where Do We Use Programming Now?
Websites and Apps: Everything online—games, shopping, videos—runs on code.
Video Games: Code builds the worlds, rules, and characters you play with.
Robots and Drones: Programming helps machines move and “think.”
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Lets computers “learn” to recognize things, talk, and even create art.
Everyday Gadgets: Phones, watches, cars, and even some fridges use code to work.
Science and Space: Programs control rockets, satellites, and help scientists study planets and stars.