The Future of Computer Programming
When it comes to the world of computer programming, it would be safe to say that the future is bright. And why is that so? Gone are the days when only the rich and powerful have the tools to educate themselves. Nowadays, a single household possesses at least one computer. There are a lot of brilliant minds out there who are constantly on their toes to bring about the latest developments in computer programming.
To make their dream a reality, it is necessary to begin where all computer programmers begin—at grade school. Computer programming is now being introduced to the youngest minds. Educational materials that are targeting languages in programming and also development tools are now being introduced in most schools’ curriculums.
But this is still an ongoing vision. Somewhere in the near future, computer programming (not just computer usage) will be just another ordinary subject such as writing, reading or arithmetic. A study shows that this vision is slowly unfolding as teenagers are responding positively to programming exercises and are even able to control several virtual worlds in just a few days.
Mass computer programming literacy is a work in progress. When even the most simple citizen is able to explain the designs of software with ease, then creativity will abound and so with productivity. But what is computer programming in the future? Is it more on art or engineering? Or both?
One renowned computer architect named Gordon Morrison states that computer programming is recently in a form of art. When this is so, it means that the current knowledge in programming is disorganized and changeable. He proposes further that in changing programming into engineering (which is a more precise form) then the future of programming will become more stable.
Perhaps, one good way to predict the future of programming is by looking at the available jobs for computer programmers these days. Consider these career options: a single system programmer is able to install and maintain mainframe ops systems, management software for databases, and also networks for communications. They can also become compilers or utility programmers.
Another good way to foretell what is in store for computer programming is to look at the television and some science fiction films that are being produced lately. In the past, the TV series called The New Adventures of Wonder Woman showed talking computers and robots which were causes of awe. Today, those are not impossibilities.
The use of hardware has progressed tremendously over the past years and software development is tailing behind. Software processes are still on the if-and-then phase and users are wondering whether this will really change. Although there are predictions that programming languages would soon be on its fifth generation (where the recent languages would become obsolete), still, this visualization still hasn’t pushed through. Which leads others to ask, has software development reached its peak? Will there be no more developments? Is this as far as it could go?
Sure, there are modernizations here and there when it comes to new languages but they remain at a certain phase. It doesn’t go a notch higher. Perhaps, software would be the technological limit that would cap computer programming advancement. But only perhaps.
There are always minds out there that constantly grind to provide the latest in programming innovation. We can only watch and predict for now. And yes, we could only wonder.
Why Hardware Development Could Mean the Future of Computer Programming
Computer programming is also known as software program or sometimes it is simply called ‘program’. Whatever name it’s called, its purpose is to provide instructions to a computer machine. If there is one thing that a computer needs to be able to function (aside from electricity, of course!), it would be computer programs. The executor of the instructions is the central processor.
Computer programming is categorized into two functional lines which are the application and system software. And when it comes to working on these matters, the experts are the so-called computer programmers or software developers.
But where there is software, there should also exist the hardware. Generally speaking, hardware devices are any physical things that are being used in computer manipulation. Examples are circuit boards, keyboards and processors. The development of hardware plays a major role on the advancement of computer programming.
This is because most computer programs are embedded in hardware. This means that some programs that are stored in the computer can be accessed by an initial program that is stored in its ROM for booting. The process of booting is to be able to recognize and also initialize all system features.
After the initialization process, the primary program of the computer would load the operating system which would set the program counters to initiate usual operations. Totally self-sufficient, a hardware device could have some embedded firmware in controlling its operation.
Nowadays, there are a number of hardware development tools in the market. Along with some software development kits are the hardware development tools that are designed to allow users to have control on design flow processes. There are many different types to choose from. There are development boards for hardware that are used in assisting designers for systems and software to validate designs. For example, there are tools that are used in SoC prototypes, or there are tools that combine several device features such as Flash programmer or Memory emulator.
Going back to the basics, there are numerous computer programs that would run concurrently on just one computer. This process is called multitasking. And multitasking can run on either software or hardware systems.
Operating systems that are modern are able to run several programs through the so-called process scheduling—this is software system that switches the central processing unit amongst processes. By doing this, users are able to interact with every single program while it is being run. As to hardware, modern multiprocessors or computers that are equipped with multicore processor might run several programs.
‘Heard of the term open source hardware? There is currently no real definition of this term but this is generally understood as open source software usage alongside hardware. Also, this is the free discharge of information on the hardware (release on schematics, size, design and other information). This is the latest in open source hardware information and logic design sharing is a known open source hardware form.
Designers of open hardware often meet to discuss design problems and their corresponding solutions; they also assist each other in looking for parts; they also meet to converse about recent developments in their works.
Since it is believed that the development of software is quite limited (and might even have reached its peak), the focus on progression is now on hardware development. With the many hardware development tools in the market nowadays, the world could look forward to more innovations in the not-so-distant future…or maybe even tomorrow.
