My Multimedia Narrative Project: The Past, Present, and Future of Computer Programming

Introduction:

For the final project in my DCI180 class, I decided to explore an untapped interest of mine: computer programming. Since learning that my father worked in technology, I’ve been fascinated by coding languages. I’ve always wondered how they are developed, what are they influenced by, who were their inventors and what were they trying to solve. In this assignment, I explore every nook and cranny, if you will, of this topic’s evolution through a multitude of creative multimedia elements in order to form a coherent story. First, using credible sources, I outline the history of coding and its evolution from 1822 to 1968. Next, in order to practice synthesizing my research, I capture modern coding milestones in a video. Finally, in order to best understand the future of programming and where it is headed, I interview Jason Mickel, an expert on the subject.

 

 

PAST (1822-1968):

The following bulleted list is a chronological history of coding milestones I found worth noting. I selected these specific events as they contribute to the overall evolution of programming and influence modern coding languages.

• 1822
  • Charles Babbage creates the “difference engine”
  • This device was the first automatic machine calculator that used physical. Motion to complete basic mathematical operations.
• 1942
  • The US Government creates ENIAC, a variation of the difference engine, but physically rewire-able for different calculations.
• 1945
  • John Von Neumann creates two new concepts in computer programming:
    • The “Shared-program technique” à computer hardware should be simplified, and calculations should be completed through digital processes.
    • “Conditional control transfer” à introduction of small blocks of code that could be “jumped” to in any order, instead of chronological instructions, including IF, FOR, and THEN
  • 1949 + 1951
    • The creation of the “Short Code” language enables electronic devices to use the modern binary system by hand.
    • A compiler was created by Grace Hopper (a program that turns statements into 0s and 1s so that the computer can understand them)
  • 1957
    • The creation of the FORTAN language (FORmula TRANslating system) by IBM enables the use of IF, DO, and GOTO instructional statements as well as data types including True/False, integer, real, and double-precision numbers.
  • 1958
    • The creation of the LISP language by John McCarthy births the first language dedicated to specific research purposes and only includes a single data type: lists.
  • 1958
    • The creation of the Algol language by a scientific committee, which was the first language with formal grammar and also led to Pascal, C, C++, and Java.
  • 1968
    • The creation of Pascal by Niklaus Wirth combined input/output functions, with mathematical features, and CASE statements, which enabled “tree branching.”

 

 

PRESENT (1972-2000s):

The following video is a visual presentation of what I consider the modern programming era. I include this element as it is more interactive and/or visually appealing than a bulleted list.

*NOTE: The images used in this video are cited under “Works Cited”

 

 

FUTURE (Interview with Jason Mickel):

In this segment, I interview Jason Mickel to learn more about where the future of coding is headed. Professor Mickel is the Director of Library Technology at Washington and Lee University. After completing his Ph.D on Communications Media and Instructional Technology at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, in which his dissertation focused on the “discovery of media literacy in discussion forums of a popular online news website,” he went on to work for more than 15 years in technology and the library.

Where is coding headed?

 

Do you think everyone will need to know programming skills in the future, no matter their occupation? If so, why?

 

There are so many different programming languages out there, and they all serve different purposes. But do you think it’s possible that we could successfully create a universal programming language?

 

Do you think AI will replace developers? (Ex. Facebook creating AI that can create its own code)

 

 

Conclusion:

I learned a lot from this project. I’ve learned about everything from the first automatic machine calculator (the “difference engine”) to the most advanced programming languages of today, including Python and C++. Seeing the evolution of coding is eye-opening. While these languages may output entirely different applications, video games, or webpage designs, they all share similar components that are the basic building blocks of instructional communications between humans and computers. Since completing this research, interview, and video, I have also been able to have more in depth conversations about technology with my dad, which has meant a lot to me.

 

Works Cited:

Bee, Artsy. “Free Image on Pixabay – Chalkboard, Background, Decorative.” Chalkboard Background Decorative – Free Image on Pixabay, pixabay.com/illustrations/chalkboard-background-decorative-517818/.

“C ‘Hello, World!” Program.” Programiz, www.programiz.com/cpp-programming/examples/print-sentence.

“C++ ‘Hello, World!” Program.” Programiz, www.programiz.com/cpp-programming/examples/print-sentence.

“Computer Programming History.” Computer Hope, 26 Nov. 2018, www.computerhope.com/history/programming.htm.

Ferguson, Andrew. “A History of Computer Programming Languages.” A History of Computer Programming Languages, 2000, cs.brown.edu/~adf/programming_languages.html.

“Hello, World! – Learn Python – Free Interactive Python Tutorial.” Python, www.learnpython.org/en/Hello,_World!

“Jason Mickel.” The Washington and Lee University Library, library.wlu.edu/about/library-directory/jason-mickel.

“Java Hello World Program.” Programiz, www.programiz.com/java-programming/hello-world.

Mickel, Jason. Personal interview. 3 December 2019.

Pexels. Pixabay, pixabay.com/photos/code-code-editor-coding-computer-1839406/.