Ekström - How to think about software development: About software, software development and software developers

"Hello, World!" program in C by Brian Kernighan (1978)

Despite the fact that few core concepts, such as the program above, have changed in the last 40 years, learning about programming and computer science today is difficult.

For this reason I will discuss well-known concepts in this book. The ones I believe it is critical to understand. Things do not appear out of nowhere in technology. These concepts will help us form a bigger picture of where we are and where we are going.

S oftware is typically defined as a set of logic instructions that are translated into machine code and executed by the processor. The phrase was coined around 70 years ago, and software remains largely unchanged in this regard.

It's a very specific and yet generic description. It includes all software. It can, for example, be used to describe both a project to develop an an Ethereum wallet and another project to develop electronic timetables for public transportation. People must be more precise when communicating with one another, but without using terms like logic instructions or machine code.

Hardware and software platforms, version numbers, and software names are all used casually. In the previous example to describe the logic context, the platform on which the software runs, the term Ethereum is required. The term wallet is required to describe the type of functionality that the end user may expect. Because the Ethereum project runs in the cloud, we don't have to think about what hardware it runs on, but if we did, we'd most likely added something about it, for example:

- I played Battlefield 3 on my PS3.

The PS3 section provides vital information about the game's hardware, allowing us to deduce what graphics the game is expected to have and how we will provide user input, via a PS3 game controller. If it is important to us, we will also use version numbers. Many people care a lot about the most recent iPhone model number. If a person instead say:

- Do you want to Netflix and chill?

Now this can mean several things, and even even in the realm of computers, because if you live in a dorm room it might mean that it will be on your laptop but if you live in a house most likely a TV will be used, and there will be a device connected to the TV, most likely a Google Chromecast or an Apple TV. In the end, video will be streamed, but the streaming part becomes superfluous in comparison to the user experience, which is very similar to watching TV.

Yet another example is if someone say:

- Im testing a math application for 3rd graders.

Or:

- Im using a math application for University students.

This suggests that they will not have the same user interface, but that they will both most likely have tutorials with questions and answers.

- I need a USB-C cable.

Unfortunately, humanity has not discovered a better way to name the distinct appearance of the copper connection at the end of a cable. We use words describing hardware, hardware standards, software, and versions of software to refer to the capabilities, functionality, and user interface based on most people's experience with software and what can be seen or marketed.

Other than the things we usually refer to, there are other factors that influence how software works. It's not just the programming language; it's also what data is available, standards, and business requirements.