What is Programming: Definition and 1000 Discussions

Computer programming is the process of designing and building an executable computer program to accomplish a specific computing result or to perform a specific task. Programming involves tasks such as: analysis, generating algorithms, profiling algorithms' accuracy and resource consumption, and the implementation of algorithms in a chosen programming language (commonly referred to as coding). The source code of a program is written in one or more languages that are intelligible to programmers, rather than machine code, which is directly executed by the central processing unit. The purpose of programming is to find a sequence of instructions that will automate the performance of a task (which can be as complex as an operating system) on a computer, often for solving a given problem. Proficient programming thus often requires expertise in several different subjects, including knowledge of the application domain, specialized algorithms, and formal logic.
Tasks accompanying and related to programming include: testing, debugging, source code maintenance, implementation of build systems, and management of derived artifacts, such as the machine code of computer programs. These might be considered part of the programming process, but often the term software development is used for this larger process with the term programming, implementation, or coding reserved for the actual writing of code. Software engineering combines engineering techniques with software development practices. Reverse engineering is a related process used by designers, analysts and programmers to understand and re-create/re-implement.

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  1. robotkid786

    Intro Physics Learn Python: Top Book Recommendations for Beginners

    I'm looking at a book called python crash course for beginners (eric mathes), does anyone have experience of using this book or any other book that you would recommend for learning python if not that, is there a specific course you'd suggest that isn't in book form? I'm completely new to...
  2. P

    Fortran Errors in Fortran code for solving Laplace's equation in 3D

    hey everyone. I wrote a code in Fortran to calculate potential values or solve the Laplace equation inside a cube according to the boundary conditions mentioned in the code. this is my code: program laplace_cubic implicit none REAL*8 :: LX, LY, LZ, DELTA, MAX_ERR, ERR INTEGER :: NX, NY...
  3. Y

    What is the best way to learn logic of computer language?

    Hi I want to give an introduction of programming to my grand daughter who's going to college next year. She never learn any language. I want to play with Audino Kit with her. It's mostly C++. But it's too difficult for her to learn as first language and she doesn't have time as she's still very...
  4. D

    Looking for trigonometric ray tracing software for optics

    Is there an existing ray trace program that can trace planar light rays through this monocentric, model lens? Parameter values are given above. Input ray angles are all zero. Does some program give the output ray angle values at the second surface? How about for any arbitrary ray incoming to...
  5. kolleamm

    Automate clicks and typing on Windows apps without source code?

    I want to create a program that can type and click for me on any Windows app without access to the source code. This would save a lot of time doing boring and repetitive tasks. Is this possible?
  6. fluidistic

    LaTeX Discover Typst: The Modern and User-Friendly Alternative to Latex"

    In case you're living in a cave or under a rock, I just wanted to mention there's a modern alternative to Latex, which is apparently easier to learn and use. See https://github.com/typst/typst. Thoughts on it?
  7. Y

    Which MPU is the most popular and will be around for long time?

    Hi Just want to know which of the MPU I should learn that will be around and popular for a long time. I bought the Elegoo with ATmega328P. Before I invest time learning how to program it, I want to make sure I choose the right one. Thanks
  8. P

    Do you want to build a website?

    I wrote this in response to a recent thread start here which is now deleted, but this is close enough to a common question that I don't think has been answered (recently) here, so here goes... A variety of services exist to create websites such as Wordpress.com, Squarespace and Shopify where...
  9. shivajikobardan

    Studying Programming is coming to me but I forget how I solved the problem...

    I'm surprised that automatically programming is coming to me. It blows my mind. I could not think of any logic in the past months and now I am able to solve puzzles in programming. But the toughest part is I forget how I solved the problem too quickly. For example, the blackjack program. I...
  10. bartb7

    What programming languages does Bartb7 specialize in?

    There's stuff on here relevant to my day-to-day, which means I may also be able to contribute. I'm primarily focused on programming in C, C++, Python and Perl. Nothing now, just introducing myself - hello all!
  11. shivajikobardan

    Comp Sci Converting decimal to Roman Literal using programming?

    var dict = { 1: "I", 5: "V", 10: "X", 50: "L", 100: "C", 500: "D", 1000: "M", }; ordinary_literal = Number(prompt("Enter the value of year in foramt 2010")); //2010 as input let roman_value = ""; let minDifference = Infinity; while (ordinary_literal > 0) { for (var key in dict)...
  12. C

    C/C++ Trying to access constructor variables in class functions

    There's a lot here and i can cut it down if need, but im wondering how one access's vectors vec_y and vec_x (which initialize in the constructor) in the rkf function? See, ultimately id like to have the class perform the rkf function which modifies vec_x and vec_y (according the RungeKutta ode...
  13. shivajikobardan

    Character pattern program -- Print large words using "X" characters

    I want to make a program that takes strings as input. eg: physicsforums. And writes that using x'es. example c of physicsforums should look like this. I've written the program for this. #include <iostream> using namespace std; int main() { int size; cout << "Enter the size of the...
  14. Mark44

    Fizz Buzz implemented in Erlang

    Fizz Buzz has been discussed in many online blogs are articles, in a multitude of programming languages. It has been widely used as a screening device for those aspiring to obtain developer positions. The job candidate is asked to write some code to print the numbers 1 through 100, with "Fizz"...
  15. D

    Why doesn't my collision detection between two Area2D objects in Godot 4 work?

    Hi everyone I'd like to detect collisions between a circle and a floor. I have set them up as follows: The script runs fine (it's just a circle falling towards the floor), but nothing happens when the two objects collide. Does anyone know what I've done wrong?Thanks
  16. harryharns

    C/C++ Perform RK4 between 2 Clusters in Magnetic Field

    I have a simulated data of charged particles in a magnetic field. I have selected clusters, each cluster contains a set of points(x,z) and I want to perform RK4 between the first and second clusters and fill the positions in a histogram. I have selected the clusters with the initial...
  17. shivajikobardan

    How do I learn programming, particularly bash shell scripting and SQL?

    For eg: Currently I am trying to learn bash shell scripting, text processing using bash etc. But the problem is I don't think I can learn it. Why? Because I don't know programming. In particular, problem solving. I don't know problem solving at all. I try my best but I fail. In the past, I tried...
  18. J

    What programming languages/pathways should I focus on?

    I am a Senior in High School looking to go to college for Computer Science. Since Freshmen year I have been learning Front End Development (HTML, CSS, and Javascript), albeit somewhat slowly and staggered due to school getting in the way and whatnot. In the past year, I have learned some more...
  19. hudsonj

    Physics based programming problem sets

    Was wondering if anyone knew of any good resources with programming challenges akin to the website "Project Euler" (about page found here). To be more specific, I'm looking for something consisting of problems centred around physics topics that would require some level of problem solving and...
  20. core7916

    C/C++ Trouble programming Arm Cortex M0 (stuck in the reset_handler)

    Hello, i am programming pga970evm module and the core is of arm cortex m0. the program what i have is building succesfully , but while debugging it is stuck or halting in reset (reset_handler) and not comming out of it (startup code). i will provide screen shot of debug page. another thing is...
  21. gmax137

    BASIC programming package -- free downloads for Windows 11?

    I used to enjoy writing little programs in BASIC when it was included in Windows. I guess it hasn't been included for a long long time. Is there a BASIC package available for download that would run on my Windows 11 PC?
  22. core7916

    Why is my FPGA not working correctly when programmed with a POF file?

    Hello, i am programming my fpga with certain logic. With the sof file the logic is working fine and correct. but when i am programming pof file i am getting error. (programming is successful, but doesn't work as per the logic).
  23. shivajikobardan

    What are some pieces of advice for a struggling programming learner?

    TL;DR Summary: advices for struggling programming learner I had access to world's best resources to learn books, tutorials, blogs, youtube, udemy etc. I had access to forums like this to get help and support but still this was tough for me.People say do projects to learn but I really don't...
  24. John Bernier

    Towards a new theory of information kinematics

    The physical world is highly parallel; many things are happening side by side simultaneously. This is true not only at the macroscopic scales that we can see but as far as we know down to the subatomic scales. This is referred to as the principle of locality [1], which states that an object is...
  25. U

    Comp Sci X86 NASM reading from the terminal and writing back to the terminal

    cpu 8086 segment code ..start mov ax,data mov ds,ax mov ax,stack mov ss,ax mov sp,dno mov es, ax start_2 mov ah, 0x0a mov dx, buffer int 21h cmp al, 0 je print_lines inc word [count] mov si, buffer mov di, line mov cx, 100...
  26. G

    Please help a beginner in java programming

    Please help me to find what my mistakes are in the following java program.
  27. shivajikobardan

    Comp Sci How do I think about recursion in programming?

    I got the idea for problems like factorials or finding sum from 1 to n, where there's a pattern visible. Like this: Source:https://99x.io/blog/recursion-is-not-hard-here-is-the-right-way-to-think I got it for things like addition, subtraction, division, multiplication of two numbers as well...
  28. shivajikobardan

    Can you share exercises/assignments of programming?

    I've finished self-learning till arrays. Learning about strings today. My level isn't that high yet that I will be able to solve DSA problems in leetcode and codewars imo. So, I want some exercises. If some of you have access to university's assignments and are eligible to share it, please share...
  29. S

    Physics Most Common Programming Language in Physics Career

    HELLO ALL, First off, my apologies if this topic is redundant, but I was wondering which programming language is widely applicable to a physics career. What positions in a Physics related career use what specific languages? What is one's best option if one is pursuing a research position versus...
  30. T

    I Getting eigenvalues of an arbitrary matrix with programming

    I have learnt about the power iteration for any matrix say A. How it works is that we start with a random compatible vector v0. We define vn+1 as vn+1=( Avn)/|max(Avn)| After an arbitrary large number of iterations vn will slowly converge to the eigenvector associated with the dominant...
  31. Wrichik Basu

    Programming Jokes: Lame, Science & Math Jokes!

    We have threads on lame jokes and science jokes. But then, we also have a thread on bad math jokes. So, why not create one specifically for programming jokes? Let me start:
  32. alpha

    Solving Linear Programming problems in python PulP

    Okay so far I have come up with the following: The objective function is: 30LADA + 40LAHO + 50SADA + 40SAHO + 110DANY + 125DACH + 105HONY + 115HOCH (to read this please see the table above as I have just used the first two letters of each except NY which I have represented by NY). In these I...
  33. alpha

    Optimizing Constraints for Linear Programming Problem

    So far I have figured out the following: maximize 0.02x1 + 0.01x2 +0.06x3 + 0.07x4 subject to: xi <= 200,000 xi >= 24,000 x3 <= x2 +x4 x1 >= x3 But when I try to solve this in solver, I get an error which means my contraints must be wrong. Any suggestions on what constaints to put?
  34. F

    I Modulo and Modulus in math and computer programming

    Hello, I an clear on how the modulo operator ##%##, also called the remainder operator, is used in programming. It gives the remainder of the integer division. For example, ##5 % 2 = 1## because the divisor 2 fits 2 wholly times into the dividend 5 leaving behind a reminder of 1. ## 6% 3 =0##...
  35. C

    Call program written in language B from program written in language A

    Let's say I have an algorithm ## ALG_A ## written in language ##A##, and I wish to call algorithm ## ALG_B ## written in language ##B## through ## ALG_A ##. What are some ways of achieving this in implementation? For example, say I want to calculate stuff in C language and provide this...
  36. MidgetDwarf

    Studying Book recommendations to start learning programming for project Euler

    I do not know much about programming. I have used Mathematica, and some Python in the past for very specific problems. Any book recommendations for one wanting to learn programming in order to solve problems from Project Euler. I am familiar with number theory, but not with programming.
  37. S

    Programs I want to enroll in a beginning programming course

    Long ago I studied one and only one beginning programming course. The only requirement or prerequisite was a couple of remedial Mathematics courses (Algebra 1 and Algebra 2, and maybe Trigonometry). No other computer courses needed as prerequisites. With much struggling, I earned a C. The...
  38. Eclair_de_XII

    Job Skills How do I get motivated to practice programming?

    I am asking this question because I am trying to learn skills that will make me more appealing in the job market. Ideally, the promise of stable work and what-not should be enough. But I find it difficult to maintain interest in learning how to code. I do not know if it is the scarcity of...
  39. M

    Python Programming a recursive expected value card game

    Hi PF! Take a deck of cards. 26 are red and 26 are black. You draw cards randomly without replacement: if the card is red you gain a dollar, if black you lose a dollar. What's the expected value? My thought process was to look at simple cases and build to a 52 card deck. We know if ##r=0##...
  40. Wanderer_

    Math Non programming jobs for math majors

    Whenever I ask what are the potential jobs for math majors, it's related to data science or software engineering where being proficient in programming is required. I notice that it's generally okay for programmers to be bad at math, but math majors are usually expected to be good at...
  41. chwala

    Solve the problem involving linear programming

    Find question and solution here; The initial steps were a bit confusing to me...i decided to use hours instead of minutes ...only then did it become more clear to me. See my graph, Ok i follow that the function would be optimised at ##x=45## and ##y=6.25## ...now to my question...we...
  42. shivajikobardan

    Comp Sci Abstraction level in programming - multimedia

    source-: http://ce.sharif.ir/courses/84-85/2/ce342/resources/root/BOOK/Multimedia/215814- Chapter 16.pdf page number 7 Questions-: 1) What is read access? 2) What is presentation rate? 3) In fast forward, some data units are skipped but the valid life span for each frame is not changed...
  43. C

    Help with this emu8086 assembly language problem please

    Summary:: my code has been successfully showing the right decrement of the letter. however, i tried to put space in between the letter output but its output became repititive letters. this is the original output when i try to put space it become like this i want to put spaces on the output...
  44. Margarita0076

    Engineering HL Programming: Mini-Assembler in Java

    I already wrote the regToByte method, but I don't understand how to write the makeI and makeR methods correctly. Create a mini-Assembler for a 32-bit MIPS processor; Program should accept input lines from the user until HALT is read. With each line, translate the line into MIPS machine code...
  45. Margarita0076

    Engineering Assembly Programming (MIPS): Convert BCD to Decimal

    I have this code which convert decimal number to binary number, but I do not understand how representation 8762 like 1000 0111 0110 0010. 8 7 6 2 1000 0111 0110 0010 .data strmsg: .asciiz "please Enter a decimal number: " .text #main method .globl main #main function main...
  46. B

    How to make progress in programming classes?

    Hi everyone, Hopefully I'm writing this in the correct part of PhysicsForum. Here is my problem: I'm really struggling with my programming class (basics of python3 - loops, dictionaries, numpy). What I did this semester: 1. Participated in every class 2. Solved everything our course offered...
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