What Does a Computer Programmer Do?

Computers are an essential part of everyday life. Whether you conduct research on Google, play apps on your phone, or hand in assignments through a learning management system at school, you probably access computer programs all the time. But have you ever thought about who designs, builds, and programs the software you rely on for school, work, and play? A computer programmer is an IT professional who writes the code that enables programs and applications to function. But that isn’t all they do! If you chose this profession, your responsibilities would vary depending upon where you worked and the kind of systems they used. There are some similarities though:

Computer Programmers Write Code for New Software

It takes a whole team to develop new software. Once it’s out of the research and design stage, the design plan goes off to a programmer to write the code. To meet the exact specifications, you need to develop just the right code to make the program perform specific functions. It’s your code that bring designs to life. And while the end product may look simple and easy to use, getting there involves languages that may be foreign to you now. Coding languages such as JavaScript, HTML/CSS, SQL, Python or C++ spell out functionalities and tell computers what to do. And while learning the fundamentals of coding and the different languages may take time and a bit of trial and error, it’s a valuable skillset that can lead to a long and interesting career.

Computer Programmers Perform Debugging

Another important part of a programmer’s job is to identify and fix bugs or errors in software. Whether you code something and it doesn’t work correctly, or you look to fix another’s work, you need to figure out what part or parts of a program don’t work right, target the cause of the problem, and undo the error. This debugging involves running your code step by step to see where the mistake occurred. There are tools to help the process and even some that provide temporary fixes so you can continue running a program while you search for more errors.

Update or Expand Software

Software needs to be updated often to be compatible with newer operating systems, security measures, and features, or to override any bugs or glitches in the code. Part of your job is to write the code that updates software into newer and improved versions. Smaller updates can be made in a few days while larger expansions may take months to complete.

Ensure Programs are Compatible with Operating Systems

Just because a software program runs well on Windows doesn’t mean it will work perfectly on macOS. You need to take existing software programs and rewrite their code so it’s compatible with all operating systems. You may also need to modify code to make sure it works on mobile devices.

Computer Programmers Create Technical Guides

When you write the code for a program, you become an expert on its features and functionalities. That’s why you may be asked to write technical guides for the software you program so that users, analysts, and other developers understand how it works.

Prevent Cybersecurity Attacks

Cyberthreats occur every day and they can debilitate computers, networks, financial institutions, and personal accounts. With a strong set of coding skills, you may be asked to write code that protects programs from data breaches or attacks. If an attack does occur, you may be called upon to fix the damaged software and to find creative programming solutions that could prevent it from happening again.  

Computer programmers make the digital world accessible to us all. If you have an interest in coding and computers and think a career in programming is right for you, contact Limestone University today. We offer an online Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – Programming that can prepare you for a rewarding career in the field.

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