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This week, NCFE is celebrating National Coding Week, which aims to help people better understand the world of computer coding.

A good understanding of how we design and structure code is critical to success, which is why we’ve built a Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Coding.

Here, our Digital Sector Manager James Lane explores and breaks down some of the most common forms of coding.

What are programming languages?

Programming languages give us the very basis to communicate with computers and give them the instructions to perform functions – from displaying text on a screen, to performing a finishing move in Call of Duty.

As with spoken languages, programming languages differ in complexity and purpose. Low-level languages issue basic instructions, but aren’t considered to be readable by people (as it’s hard to understand).

Contrary to this, in high-level languages we find that instructions are written closer to the structure of English – this syntax (the structure of the language) is what allows language to be spoken and written languages to be understood, and the same is true of programming languages.

Imagine gesturing to someone that they should go first through a door – that form of communication is simple and probably universally understood, perfect for this use. But, as our need to communicate grows, our language must develop with it. Without this, we are restricted to basic functions.

We’ve got around 700 programming languages, and they are wide-spread in use and function. Below are a few of the more common or popular ones:

Python

Making its debut in the early 1990s, Python is a popular language due to its general purpose and use of whitespace, making it easier to read.

What it looks like:

print('Hello, world!')

Where you may see it in the wild:

Web development, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), operating systems, mobile application development, and some video games.

Career prospects:

The average Python Developer salary in United Kingdom is £57,967 per year, or £29.73 per hour. Entry level positions start at £30,000 per year, while most experienced workers make up to £90,000 per year.

C# (pronounced ‘see sharp’)

C# came about in 2000 and is especially strong for Windows applications. It is well-known for its speed in productivity, allowing developers to get product development to market faster.

What it looks like:

Console.WriteLine("Hello World!");

Where you may see it in the wild:

Windows desktop applications, games, web applications (Xbox, HoloLens) and mobile development.

Career prospects:

The average Developer salary in United Kingdom is £45,657 per year, or £23.41 per hour. Entry level positions start at £25,000 per year, while most experienced workers make up to £77,616 per year.

PHP

The mid-nineties brought us PHP. Originally for ‘personal home pages’, it now stands for Hypertext Preprocessor due to its libraries already being compiled. It is processed server-side (as opposed to JavaScript, which is processed client-side).

What it looks like:

echo "Hello World!";

Where you may see it in the wild:

Website Content Management Systems (CMS), graphical applications and robotic drone control.

Career prospects:

The average PHP Developer salary in United Kingdom is £40,000 per year, or £20.51 per hour. Entry level positions start at £25,000 per year, while most experienced workers make up to £68,000 per year.

Learn more about our Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Coding here.

For students ready to progress or enter at a Level 3, check out our Certificate in Coding Practices.

Salary reports from https://neuvoo.co.uk