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A Career in Programming / Software Engineering Who is a Programmer?
What do Programmers/Software Developers do? Programmers/Software Engineers write software. They write the instructions that tell the computer what to do. Programmers are IT professionals who create such programs that run on various platforms including operating systems, the Internet, handheld gadgets, computer-aided devices, or a combination of computer equipment. Job Titles In the programming environment typical job titles are: Software Engineer, Application Developer, Systems Analyst, Software Tester, Software Developer, System Analyst and Programmer. There are also variations of these titles such as Senior Software Developer, Software Analyst, etc. However, while you should be aware of these titles, focus more on the actual duties and expectations in a particular organization or programming environment. Too many people in IT, although titles may also vary with your level of experience, application developer, programmer, and software developer all mean the same thing. Programming Languages Get into the software development field by learning a programming language. Computer programs/applications/software are written in such languages. Programmers can decide to master one or more languages. The best languages? I don't know about that, but people choose to use certain languages based on familiarity, personal preference or what the environment demands. In terms of market demand, programmers usually prefer languages such as: C++, Java and Visual Basic. In addition the IT industry depends on programmers to create new programming languages and to modify and enhance existing ones. Nature of Work Coding in computer language is not all a programmer does. Programmers are involved all aspects of the software development process, also known as the product development cycle. Let's take a look at each step of the process to get an idea of what the job is like. User Requirements What does the user want? Interview and interact with the users to determine their expectations. Don't assume for the user. What should the program do for them? An understanding of the business need helps. Getting user needs requires good communications and business skills. Specification There is a need to write expectations of users into "specifications" that describe the details and functions of the program. It will specify what the program will do. Design and Develop The program must be designed to meet the specifications and the design and specifications must be converted to computer code. Coding, writing the program in the chosen programming language based on the specifications, is regarded by many as the core programming skill. Coding must be done with functionality, security, resilience, usability and future maintenance of the software application in mind.
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Who is a programmer? What does it take to become a software developer? It should be obvious that Programming/Software Engineering plays a vital role in the IT industry. It's simple. Programs are needed to make computers function. Without programs, computers have no value. Programs tell the computers what to do - simple or complex tasks for payroll calculation, word-processing, operating systems, computer games, business processing, banking applications, etc.