Programmer

Last updated

Computer programmer
Two women operating ENIAC (full resolution).jpg
Betty Jennings and Fran Bilas, part of the first ENIAC programming team
Occupation
NamesComputer Programmer
Occupation type
 Profession
Activity sectors
 Information technology, Software industry
Description
CompetenciesWriting and debugging computer code
Education required
Varies from apprenticeship to bachelor's degree, or self-taught

A programmer, computer programmer or coder is an author of computer source code – someone with skill in computer programming.

Contents

The professional titles software developer and software engineer are used for jobs that require a programmer.

Generally, a programmer writes code in a computer language and with an intent to build software that achieves some goal.

Identification

Sometimes a programmer or job position is identified by the language used or target platform. For example, assembly programmer , web developer .

Job title

The job titles that include programming tasks have differing connotations across the computer industry and to different individuals. The following are notable descriptions.

A software developer primarily implements software based on specifications and fixes bugs. Other duties may include reviewing code changes and testing. To achieve the required skills for the job, they might obtain a computer science or associate degree, attend a programming boot camp or be self-taught.

A software engineer usually is responsible for the same tasks as a developer plus broader responsibilities of software engineering including architecting and designing new features and applications, targeting new platforms, managing the software development lifecycle (design, implementation, testing, and deployment), leading a team of programmers, communicating with customers, managers and other engineers, considering system stability and quality, and exploring software development methodologies.

Sometimes, a software engineer is required to have a degree in software engineering, computer engineering, or computer science. Some countries legally require an engineering degree to be called engineer. [1] [2] [3]

History

Ada Lovelace is considered by many to be the first computer programmer. Ada Lovelace portrait.jpg
Ada Lovelace is considered by many to be the first computer programmer.

British countess and mathematician Ada Lovelace is often considered to be the first computer programmer. She authored an algorithm, which was published in October 1842, for calculating Bernoulli numbers on the Charles Babbage analytical engine. [4] Because the machine was not completed in her lifetime, she never experienced the algorithm in action.

In 1941, German civil engineer Konrad Zuse was the first person to execute a program on a working, program-controlled, electronic computer. [5] From 1943 to 1945, per computer scientist Wolfgang K. Giloi and AI professor Raúl Rojas et al., Zuse created the first, high-level programming language, Plankalkül. [6] [7]

Members of the 1945 ENIAC programming team of Kay McNulty, Betty Jennings, Betty Snyder, Marlyn Wescoff, Fran Bilas and Ruth Lichterman have since been credited as the first professional computer programmers. [8] [9]

The software industry

The first company founded specifically to provide software products and services was the Computer Usage Company in 1955. Before that time, computers were programmed either by customers or the few commercial computer manufacturers of the time, such as Sperry Rand and IBM. [10]

The software industry expanded in the early 1960s, almost immediately after computers were first sold in mass-produced quantities. Universities, governments, and businesses created a demand for software. Many of these programs were written in-house by full-time staff programmers; some were distributed between users of a particular machine for no charge, while others were sold on a commercial basis. Other firms, such as Computer Sciences Corporation (founded in 1959), also started to grow. Computer manufacturers soon started bundling operating systems, system software and programming environments with their machines; the IBM 1620 came with the 1620 Symbolic Programming System and FORTRAN. [11]

The industry expanded greatly with the rise of the personal computer (PC) in the mid-1970s, which brought computing to the average office worker. In the following years, the PC also helped create a constantly growing market for games, applications and utility software. This resulted in increased demand for software developers for that period of time. [12]

Nature of the work

Computer programmers write, test, debug, and maintain the detailed instructions, called computer programs, that computers must follow to perform their functions. Programmers also conceive, design, and test logical structures for solving problems by computer. Many technical innovations in programming — advanced computing technologies and sophisticated new languages and programming tools — have redefined the role of a programmer and elevated much of the programming work done today. Job titles and descriptions may vary, depending on the organization. [13]

Programmers work in many settings, including corporate information technology (IT) departments, big software companies, small service firms and government entities of all sizes. Many professional programmers also work for consulting companies at client sites as contractors. Licensing is not typically required to work as a programmer, although professional certifications are commonly held by programmers. [13] Programming is considered a profession. [14] [15] [16]

Programmers' work varies widely depending on the type of business for which they are writing programs. For example, the instructions involved in updating financial records are very different from those required to duplicate conditions on an aircraft for pilots training in a flight simulator. Simple programs can be written in a few hours. More complex ones may require more than a year of work, while others are never considered 'complete' but rather are continuously improved as long as they stay in use. In most cases, several programmers work together as a team under a senior programmer's supervision.[ citation needed ]

Types of software

Programming editors, also known as source code editors, are text editors that are specifically designed for programmers or developers to write the source code of an application or a program. Most of these editors include features useful for programmers, which may include color syntax highlighting, auto indentation, auto-complete, bracket matching, syntax check, and allows plug-ins. These features aid the users during coding, debugging and testing. [17]

Globalization

Market changes in the UK

According to BBC News, 17% of computer science students could not find work in their field six months after graduation in 2009 which was the highest rate of the university subjects surveyed while 0% of medical students were unemployed in the same survey. [18]

Market changes in the US

After the crash of the dot-com bubble (1999–2001) and the Great Recession (2008), many U.S. programmers were left without work or with lower wages. [19] [20] In addition, enrollment in computer-related degrees and other STEM degrees (STEM attrition) [21] in the US has been dropping for years, especially for women, [22] which, according to Beaubouef and Mason, [23] could be attributed to a lack of general interest in science and mathematics and also out of an apparent fear that programming will be subject to the same pressures as manufacturing and agriculture careers. For programmers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook originally predicted a growth for programmers of 12 percent from 2010 to 2020 [24] and thereafter a decline of -7 percent from 2016 to 2026, a further decline of -9 percent from 2019 to 2029, a decline of -10 percent from 2021 to 2031. [13] and then a decline of -11 percent from 2022 to 2032. [25] Since computer programming can be done from anywhere in the world, companies sometimes hire programmers in countries where wages are lower. [13] However, for software developers BLS projects for 2019 to 2029 a 22% increase in employment, from 1,469,200 to 1,785,200 jobs with a median base salary of $110,000 per year. This prediction is lower than the earlier 2010 to 2020 predicted increase of 30% for software developers. [26] [27] [20] Though the distinction is somewhat ambiguous, software developers engage in a wider array of aspects of application development and are generally higher skilled than programmers, making outsourcing less of a risk. [28] [29] Another reason for the decline for programmers is their skills are being merged with other professions, such as developers, as employers increase the requirements for a position over time. Then there is the additional concern that recent advances in artificial intelligence might impact the demand for future generations of Software professions. [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36]

Market changes in Japan

As of 2024 in Japan, the demand for programmers is increasing rapidly. Numerous programming schools have opened to meet this demand, including TechAcademy, Tech i.s. and NinjaCode. On the other hand, despite the fact that there are more than 1.2 million programmers in Japan as of 2020, more than 40% of Japanese companies say they do not have enough IT personnel, including programmers; by 2030, the number of programmers will exceed 1.6 million, but about 800 000 people, including programmers A shortage of engineers is expected to occur. [37] [38]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ELIZA</span> Early natural language processing computer program

ELIZA is an early natural language processing computer program developed from 1964 to 1967 at MIT by Joseph Weizenbaum. Created to explore communication between humans and machines, ELIZA simulated conversation by using a pattern matching and substitution methodology that gave users an illusion of understanding on the part of the program, but had no representation that could be considered really understanding what was being said by either party. Whereas the ELIZA program itself was written (originally) in MAD-SLIP, the pattern matching directives that contained most of its language capability were provided in separate "scripts", represented in a lisp-like representation. The most famous script, DOCTOR, simulated a psychotherapist of the Rogerian school, and used rules, dictated in the script, to respond with non-directional questions to user inputs. As such, ELIZA was one of the first chatterbots and one of the first programs capable of attempting the Turing test.

Software engineering is an engineering approach to software development. A practitioner, called a software engineer, applies the engineering design process to develop software.

A statistician is a person who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer engineering</span> Engineering discipline specializing in the design of computer hardware

Computer engineering is a branch of electrical engineering that integrates several fields of electrical engineering, electronics engineering and Computer Science required to develop computer hardware and software. Computer engineering is referred to as Electrical and Computer engineering OR Computer Science and Engineering at some universities

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petroleum engineering</span> Extracting crude oil and natural gas

Petroleum engineering is a field of engineering concerned with the activities related to the production of hydrocarbons, which can be either crude oil or natural gas. Exploration and production are deemed to fall within the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry. Exploration, by earth scientists, and petroleum engineering are the oil and gas industry's two main subsurface disciplines, which focus on maximizing economic recovery of hydrocarbons from subsurface reservoirs. Petroleum geology and geophysics focus on provision of a static description of the hydrocarbon reservoir rock, while petroleum engineering focuses on estimation of the recoverable volume of this resource using a detailed understanding of the physical behavior of oil, water and gas within porous rock at very high pressure.

Plankalkül is a programming language designed for engineering purposes by Konrad Zuse between 1942 and 1945. It was the first high-level programming language to be designed for a computer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bureau of Labor Statistics</span> US government agency

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System. The BLS collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public, the U.S. Congress, other Federal agencies, State and local governments, business, and labor representatives. The BLS also serves as a statistical resource to the United States Department of Labor, and conducts research measuring the income levels families need to maintain a satisfactory quality of life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guido van Rossum</span> Dutch programmer and creator of Python

Guido van Rossum is a Dutch programmer. He is the creator of the Python programming language, for which he was the "benevolent dictator for life" (BDFL) until he stepped down from the position on 12 July 2018. He remained a member of the Python Steering Council through 2019, and withdrew from nominations for the 2020 election.

Software engineering professionalism is a movement to make software engineering a profession, with aspects such as degree and certification programs, professional associations, professional ethics, and government licensing. The field is a licensed discipline in Texas in the United States, Engineers Australia(Course Accreditation since 2001, not Licensing), and many provinces in Davao.

Software engineers form a noticeable part of the workforce around the world. There are an estimated 26.9 million professional software engineers in the world as of 2022, up from 21 million in 2016.

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) System is a United States government system for classifying occupations. It is used by U.S. federal government agencies collecting occupational data, enabling comparison of occupations across data sets. It is designed to cover all occupations in which work is performed for pay or profit, reflecting the current occupational structure in the United States. The 2018 SOC includes 867 detailed occupations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of programming languages</span>

The history of programming languages spans from documentation of early mechanical computers to modern tools for software development. Early programming languages were highly specialized, relying on mathematical notation and similarly obscure syntax. Throughout the 20th century, research in compiler theory led to the creation of high-level programming languages, which use a more accessible syntax to communicate instructions.

In computer science, automatic programming is a type of computer programming in which some mechanism generates a computer program to allow human programmers to write the code at a higher abstraction level.

In a software development team, a software analyst is the person who monitors the software development process, performs configuration management, identifies safety, performance, and compliance issues, and prepares software requirements and specification documents. The software analyst is the seam between the software users and the software developers. They convey the demands of software users to the developers.

A Bachelor of Software Engineering HonoursBSEHons is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completing a program of study in the field of software development for computers in information technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Customer service representative</span> Agent responsible for handling complaints, processing orders, and communicating services

Customer service representatives, customer service advisors, customer service agents, or customer service associates are employees who interact with customers to handle and resolve complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services. They may work in an office with a call center or in retail. Customer service representatives answer questions or requests from customers or the public. They typically provide services by phone, but some also interact with customers face to face, by email or text, via live chat, and through social media. Qualifications include good communication, problem-solving, and computer skills.

A systems analyst, also known as business technology analyst, is an information technology (IT) professional who specializes in analyzing, designing and implementing information systems. Systems analysts assess the suitability of information systems in terms of their intended outcomes and liaise with end users, software vendors and programmers in order to achieve these outcomes. A systems analyst is a person who uses analysis and design techniques to solve business problems using information technology. Systems analysts may serve as change agents who identify the organizational improvements needed, design systems to implement those changes, and train and motivate others to use the systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronics technician</span>

An electronics technician help design, develop, test, manufacture, install, and repair electrical and electronic equipment such as communication equipment, medical monitoring devices, navigational equipment, and computers. They may be employed in product evaluation and testing, using measuring and diagnostic devices to adjust, test, and repair equipment. Electronics technicians may also work as sales workers or field representatives for manufacturers, wholesalers, or retailers giving advice on the installation, operation, and maintenance of complex equipment and may write specifications and technical manuals. Electronics technicians represent over 33% of all engineering technicians in the U.S. In 2009, there were over 160,000 electronics technicians employed in the U.S. Electronics technicians are accredited by organizations such as the Electronics Technicians Association, or International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advent of Code</span> Annual computer programming event

Advent of Code is an annual set of Christmas-themed computer programming challenges that follow an Advent calendar. It has been running since 2015.

GitHub Copilot is a code completion and automatic programming tool developed by GitHub and OpenAI that assists users of Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, Neovim, and JetBrains integrated development environments (IDEs) by autocompleting code. Currently available by subscription to individual developers and to businesses, the generative artificial intelligence software was first announced by GitHub on 29 June 2021, and works best for users coding in Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, and Go. In March 2023 GitHub announced plans for "Copilot X", which will incorporate a chatbot based on GPT-4, as well as support for voice commands, into Copilot.

References

  1. ↑ "Programmer vs. Software Engineer: What's the Difference?". ce.arizona.edu. University of Arizona. 11 December 2020. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  2. ↑ Heinz, Kate (23 February 2021). "Software Engineer Vs. Programmer: What's the Difference?". builtin.com. Built In. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  3. ↑ Jacob, Freya (16 March 2020). "6 Key Differences Between a Software Engineer and a Programmer". simpleprogrammer.com. The Simple Programmer. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 Fuegi, J.; Francis, J. (October–December 2003). "Lovelace & Babbage and the creation of the 1843 'notes'". IEEE Annals of the History of Computing. 25 (4): 16–26. doi:10.1109/MAHC.2003.1253887.
  5. ↑ "Konrad Zuse". computer.org. IEEE. 2 April 2018. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  6. ↑ Giloi, Wolfgang K. (1997). "Konrad Zuse's Plankalkül: The First High-Level 'non von Neumann' Programming Language". IEEE Annals of the History of Computing. 19 (2): 17–24. doi:10.1109/85.586068. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023.
  7. ↑ Rojas, Raúl; Göktekin, Cüneyt; Friedland, Gerald; Krüger, Mike (February 2000). "Plankalkül: The First High-Level Programming Language and its Implementation". ResearchGate. Archived from the original on 12 June 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  8. ↑ "Memorials". ENIAC Programmers Project. First Byte Productions. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 1 April 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  9. ↑ Donaldson James, Susan (4 December 2007). "First Computer Programmers Inspire Documentary". ABC News. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  10. ↑ Elmer C. Kubie (Summer 1994). "Recollections of the first software company". Annals of the History of Computing . 16 (2): 65–71. doi:10.1109/85.279238. S2CID   5733812.
  11. ↑ "IBM Archives: 1620 Data Processing System". www.ibm.com. 23 January 2003. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  12. ↑ "Occupations in Information Technology". The United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Computer Programmers : Occupational Outlook Handbook". www.bls.gov. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  14. ↑ "How to Become a Computer Programmer". coursera.org. Coursera Inc. 30 September 2022. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2023. Computer programmers often take courses and seek certifications to enter the field and stay current in their skills in this ever-evolving profession.
  15. ↑ "11 Types of Programming Jobs (With Duties and Salaries)". indeed.com. Indeed. 17 October 2022. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023. Explore this profession and discover how you can thrive in a computer programming career.
  16. ↑ Sartore, Melissa (22 December 2022). "What Is a Computer Programmer?". computerscience.org. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023. Explore this profession and discover how you can thrive in a computer programming career.
  17. ↑ "BBC Bitesize - GCSE Computer Science - Programming software and the IDE - Revision 4". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  18. ↑ Shankleman, Martin (1 July 2010). "'One in 10' UK graduates jobless". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  19. ↑ Mann, Amar; Nunes, Tony (August 2009). "After the Dot-Com Bubble: Silicon Valley High-Tech Employment and Wages in 2001 and 2008" (PDF). Regional Report, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: 1–8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  20. 1 2 Charette, Robert N. (30 August 2013). "The STEM Crisis is a Myth" . IEEE (opinion). IEEE. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  21. ↑ "STEM Attrition: College Students' Paths Into and Out of STEM Fields". nces.ed.gov. 26 November 2013. Archived from the original on 18 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  22. ↑ "hp's Developer Portal | HP International Women's Week: Women in Computer Science dropping since 1980s". developers.hp.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  23. ↑ Beaubouef, Theresa; Mason, John (June 2005). "Why the high attrition rate for computer science students: some thoughts and observations". ACM SIGCSE Bulletin. 37 (2): 103–106. doi:10.1145/1083431.1083474. S2CID   207157501.
  24. ↑ "Computer Programmers : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics". Archived from the original on 15 September 2012.
  25. ↑ "Computer Programmers : Occupational Outlook Handbook". U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  26. ↑ "Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics". www.bls.gov. Archived from the original on 14 May 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  27. ↑ "Software Developers : Occupational Outlook Handbook". U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 18 July 2012. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013.
  28. ↑ Brooks, Ashley (2019). "Computer Programmer vs. Software Developer: Decoding the Differences". Rasmussen University. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  29. ↑ "Comparing Two Key Careers: Software Developer vs. Programmer". online.maryville.edu. 31 July 2020. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  30. ↑ "Software engineer jobs in danger due to ChatGPT-like tools? Here's what Google CEO Sundar Pichai has to say". Business Today. 6 April 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  31. ↑ "ChatGPT could make these jobs obsolete". 25 January 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  32. ↑ Kay, Grace. "Software engineers are panicking about being replaced by AI". Business Insider. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  33. ↑ Fowler, Gary. "Council Post: How Will ChatGPT Affect Jobs?". Forbes. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  34. ↑ Ito, Aki. "ChatGPT spells the end of coding as we know it". Business Insider. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  35. ↑ Zinkula, Jacob; Mok, Aaron. "ChatGPT may be coming for our jobs. Here are the 10 roles that AI is most likely to replace". Business Insider. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  36. ↑ Cohen, Mikaela (15 April 2023). "These are the tech jobs most threatened by ChatGPT and A.I." CNBC. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  37. ↑ "2030年に不足する79万人のIT人材は、 技術者・専門家だけとは限らない DX推進に欠かせない「3種の人財」の重要性 | ログミーBusiness". logmi.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  38. ↑ kotamat (15 September 2022). "ITエンジニアが「人手不足」な理由 – 日本のITエンジニア人口と今後の不足見通し - 人材紹介マガジン". ITエンジニアが「人手不足」な理由 – 日本のITエンジニア人口と今後の不足見通し - 人材紹介マガジン (in Japanese). Retrieved 13 November 2024.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.