When it comes to computers we usually end up taking for granted that they always perform processes we expect automatically. One thing that may not always cross our minds is that they need to be programmed for every single process they perform or the computer will just sit there like a useless device. Computer programming produces what are called programs which vary greatly in what they do.

      One type of program all computers and other devices that require programming is called an operating system. Operating systems also come in many different types of which the most popular one seems to be Microsoft Windows, but there are many other ones which include those that also run on portable devices. While operating systems are usually written by companies since they can take a large amount of computer programmers to create there are other types of programs which can be written by single individuals.

      Computer programs are written in what are called programming languages which can differ greatly. Programming languages allow computer programmers to create different types of programs and usually only run on the type of device they were created for. I am saying device due to the fact that computers are not the only item requiring programs to run. These days vehicles, appliances, cellular phones and many other types of items require programs to function.

      There are many different types of programming languages which range from those being easy to learn to others which may require taking courses. A lot of programming languages use similar syntax which helps learn a different one much easier.

      The ways that programming languages vary usually depends on what they were created for which will also determine how hard they are to learn since the commands and routines the language contains may be very small or very large. A program is created by entering code which is usually similar to words and makes it easier for us to understand and enter. This code however means nothing to a device and it will not be able to process the code. For this reason most programming languages use what is called a compiler which is responsible for converting the code we entered and converting it into a language the devices understand. Not all languages require a compiler since some code may not need interpretation.

      Some programs which allow creating applications are free while others can only be afforded by businesses due to their high price. When researching a programming language as with any other software package it is important to check all requirements since most require a specific type of operating system and many other factors.

      For creating very simple web pages there is a language called HTML which can even be created for a very simple text editor. HTML is very easy to learn but will not allow a lot of fancy things to be performed by a web page, but with this language it is very easy to create one. For more flexibility HTML and most web programming languages can be combined with a language called JavaScript which is more complicated to learn.

      Quite often when we are surfing the web there are pages that need us to enter information into forms which is then saved by the web site for various reasons. Most of the time information like this is captured the data is stored in a database even though we are not aware of it. These databases also have their own programming language. The generic language for programming databases is SQL or Structured Query Language which can usually be used on any database but like HTML it to is rather limited. Different types of databases \use their own version of SQL which is specific to that particular one and contains many more commands and routines to provide much greater flexibility.