Professional computer-programmers are also called software-engineers, or software developers. The job has been out there and expanding for as many years as computers themselves have been around. Just about all electronic-devices would be nothing more than 'dumb' containers if they did not incorporate programs. Programs are running virtually all the bits of technology we now have in our possession. We don't generally think about them as 'programs' but that is what they are - even your DVD-player has an operating-system that enables it to function correctly. The on screen interface which you use to set up a TV recording, or the Navigation Menu which pops up when viewing a DVD or Blu-ray is all software. When you press 'Play' on your DVD Recorder & settle down to watch a film, a bit of software pulls the binary-code from the disc & transforms it into video information incredibly quickly.

Much like every other 'technical' qualification, an exact goal needs to be achieved on where you'd like to reach, to ensure that the best approach to that position can be worked out. Accepting a training program in an ad hoc way may very well bring about you arriving at a completely different position to the one you believed you were working towards. Software certification isn't the most straightforward process to understand, and the IT market can be quite a mine-field unless you choose appropriately, so we recommend that you speak with an experienced industry expert prior to committing to any training programs or expenditure. A forty five min discussion could save you thousands of pounds and sometimes years of wasted training!

In its most basic form, a program will make use of a certain language to inform electronic equipment just how to handle a task. As you might suppose, that vastly over simplifies the task. At the level of your 'Windows' desk-top computer, you'll probably find around a hundred different programs which are operating behind the scenes, all maintaining the system and enabling you to actually do something. There are in fact two separate levels of computer programs. There is the operating system software, which is low level, & the applications software. Windows from Microsoft is probably the operating-system most people are familiar with. A complete suite of software programs need to inter-act here to ensure your PC does every little thing you require of it - from controlling your desk-top space, to managing your interaction with it, to connecting you to the internet or to your network etc.

Not too long ago Microsoft upgraded their principal accreditation tracks. They upgraded from their former 'MCAD/MCSD' (Microsoft Certified Application/Solutions Developer) examinations to the 'MCTS' ('Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist') & the 'MCPD' ('Microsoft Certified Professional Developer') examinations. Typically, there are two MCTS pre-requisite exams before you move onto the entire 'MCPD' exam. Don't be confused because Microsoft call their first module a foundation module. If you are new to programming, think about doing a programming introductory module first. It is also normally sensible to take a 'support' qualification prior to each of these, so that a reliable understanding of software environments and software support can be acquired. This will likely also help out with getting your initial job within the I.T. market. It is best to usually estimate for your studies to take one to one and a half years if you're embarking on a whole career track and doing it part time. The actual level of study time is 600 hours to 700 hours on average.

We're now experiencing a fast-progressing move towards internet and network based software, as the idea of 'Cloud computing' becomes a reality. What this means is all of your files are saved remotely, so you can access them from any place you happen to be. Everything - right down to the basic processing - is carried out within the 'cloud' of computers. Eventually the only requirement will be that you should have a really basic terminal plugged into the Network (or obviously wirelessly connected to it).

Systems programmers work in low-level 'languages' such as C, though modern day 'C' is a long way away from the original C - and it's actually a lot more user friendly today. Applications-programmers operate in a number of different higher-level 'languages', - there are rather too many to list all of them, but each will have their own list of rules & instructions - and may suit a particular task more readily than another. Company database-software, for example, tends to be written in 'languages' suited to that particular environment, whilst video games are usually written in low-level languages like 'C' - as they have to run as fast as they can. With database 'applications', split second timing really isn't a priority, however with games applications its very significant indeed! The actual main concern for a database friendly 'language' is that it provides capabilities which help to make life easier for the individual. Stripping things away to make it work more quickly would be counter productive. We could analyse the difference between the two by thinking about a racing car & an estate-car. The family estate is much more comfortable & efficient, but the trade off is handling and speed. For the function of taking the children from home to school though, it does the job nicely.

'C' is generally the most commercially viable 'languages' for the student computer programmer to begin learning. The 'language' is quite disciplined, and a number of others have emerged from it. Once you've perfected the way to program in 'C', you will find the switch to others is more spontaneous. MS supports 'C' very heavily - it is the principal systems language, and is one of the main 'languages' in both Microsoft 'Visual Studio' & their array of certifications. Such a substantial promotion & wide certification range from Microsoft simply serve to enhance the credibility of learning C in the early stages of just about any programming training path. As a matter of interest, C started daily life back in the 1960's (it wasn't actually known as 'C' until the seventies though.) It made the changeover to something called object-oriented C++ (meaning its program is not only a single, linear sequence of events - it can be numerous objects communicating with each other) in the 1980's. During the turn of the century, Microsoft launched a .NET enabled adaptation which came to be named C# ('C' sharp,) taking us all right up to date. MS designed a software-framework that allows 'Windows' programmers to have access to a wealth of pre written libraries. It's this that the word .NET refers to, & it saves programmers quite a lot of time as many of the elementary tasks are already done for them.

Microsoft Programming CBT PC Online Home-Based Certification Courses >>