Coding Activity
Coding: The New Literacy
The importance of coding activity extends far beyond just writing lines of text in a cryptic language. It is a
fundamental creative, analytical, and practical discipline that is crucial in the modern world.
Coding is important because it is
the practical implementation of ideas. It is the process of turning abstract
thoughts, hypotheses, and dreams into functional, tangible tools and systems
that improve lives, drive progress, and shape the future.
It is no longer a niche technical skill but a foundational literacy for the 21st century.
It is a Key Language of the Future
To
understand the world around you, you need to understand the basics of how it's
built.
Digital Literacy: Just as we learn biology to
understand our bodies and history to understand our past, learning to code
helps us understand the digital systems that shape our present and future. It
moves us from being passive consumers of technology to active, informed
participants.
Career Advantage: Regardless of your field—biology, finance, art, marketing—having coding skills gives you a massive advantage. It allows you to automate your tasks, analyze your data, and create custom tools specific to your needs.
Computer:
A computer is an electronic data
processing device. It performs arithmetic and logical operations. It is
programmable i.e. it can perform a variety of jobs by providing different
instructions called program.
1. Components
of Computer
A
computer is an electronic machine. The important components of the computer is
described below.
Input/output Unit:
The input/output unit is consists of different devices. It is used to transmit and receive data and
information between the memory of the computer and the outside
world.
Input Device:
The devices that are used to provide input to the computer. The information that is entered into the
computer via the input unit is saved in the memory of the device for later processing.
Keyboard, Mouse, Scanner, Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR),.Optical Mark Reader
(OMR),Trackball. Light Pen, Optical Character Recognition (
(OBR), Bar code
reader (
Output Devices
An
output device brings data out of the computer. It converts the processed data
from a form which is machine-coded into a form that the end-user will be able
to read and understand.
Example: Monitors, Printers, Plotters, Projectors, and
Speakers.
The Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The
CPU is termed as the brain of a computer system.
The
central processing unit (CPU) is in charge of turning on and controlling the
operation of the other units of the computer. CPU has Arithmetic Logic Unit, also
known as the ALU, and the Control unit (CU) are the two primary elements that
make up this unit.
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
The
arithmetic logic unit is responsible for carrying out all of the arithmetic operations,
including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In addition to
that, a logical operation is used for the comparison.
Control Unit (CU)
In
addition, the control unit of a central processing unit is controls all
operation of a computer. In addition to this, it exercises control over all
devices connected to the CPU, including memory and input/output devices.
The
CU performs the Fetch, Decode and executes cycle. It retrieves program instructions
from memory, decode it and interpret it to determine what tasks are to be
carried out, and then send appropriate control signals to the other components
so that they can carry out the steps necessary to execute the instruction.
Computer Memory:
Memory
refers to the location where the program's instructions and data are stored so as
to process it later. The central processing unit does not have the memory
necessary to permanently store computer programs or extensive data sets. It
only includes the most fundamental instructions necessary for the computer to
function. Because of this, having a good memory is essential.
To
store photos, audios, videos, or any other type of data into the computer
system, then one needs a computer memory.
Memories
are categorized in the following two categories:
1)
Internal
Memory
It
is also called Primary memory. It is temporary memory or storage. It is of two
types:
Random Access Memory (RAM)
It
is a volatile memory i.e. when computer is switched-off data and instructions
stored in it are lost. It is also termed as Main Memory. It stores the data
being processed and the program instructions to be executed. RAM is small, both
in terms of its physical size and in the amount of data that it can hold.
Read Only Memory (ROM)
Read-only
memory is only able to read and never write. It is non-volatile memory. During
the manufacturing process, the information is saved in such memories in an
irreversible manner.
The
process of "bootstrapping" a computer, occurs when the power supply
is initially activated, is named after the read-only memory (ROM) that stores
the necessary instructions for starting the computer.
ROM
chips are not only used in computers but also in other electronic devices like
washing machines and microwave ovens.
2) External Memory
External
memory, also known as secondary memory or auxiliary memory. It is significantly
larger in size than main memory. It is slow as compared to Internal Memory.
Typically, it stores programs, instructions, and data files for the operating
system.
A
processor does not have direct access to secondary memory and cannot use it.
Data and program need to brought in main memory to process and execute.
Commonly used secondary storage devices are:
Hard Disk Drive (HDD), Solid State Drive (SSD), USB Flash Drive, Magnetic Tape, Magnetic Disk and Optical Disk etc.
1. Hardware and Software
Hardware
is the physical and visible components of the computer system. It includes
monitor, CPU, keyboard and mouse.
A
program is a set of steps required to solve a given problem or accomplish a
given task. It transforms meaningless data into meaningful information.
Software is a collection of programs. It is the software that gives life to the
computer hardware.
Hardware
is like the human body where software is like the soul.
Software
is of two types:
1) System Software
System
software in one that helps in running and using the computer system. Operating
System is System software.
Operating
system is defined as an interface between the computer hardware and the
computer users. It helps computer users to interact with the computer hardware
to get the jobs done on computer.
Example: Windows, UNIX, Linux, MAC are
examples of the operating system.
2) Application Software
Application
software is a collection of programs that is designed and developed for a
particular area of application. Example- MS Office, here area of
application is Word Processing, area of application of PowerPoint is
Presentation.
Application software depends on the operating system. System software is a service provider. It interacts with the computer hardware. It provides services to the application software.
1. Files and Folders
Data
and program are stored permanently on the secondary storage in the form of a
file. A file is recognized by a filename. A filename consists of a base name
and an extension separated by a period (.). A base name indicates the name of
the file and extension shows the type of the file.
Example:
p1.cpp, here p1 is the base name and cpp is an extension indicates that it is
C++ program.
A
folder is a directory. It contains files and it is to organize files to make
search easy.
Reviewed by Syed Hafiz Choudhary
on
October 02, 2025
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