Understanding Coding

Coding is the process of writing input source code: input, because coded text input is analyzed by a compiler or interpreter to produce an output result. Programmers write two types of code, program source code and document markup, and they use the same tools to produce both. This page presents those tools.

Text Editing

Essentially all computer programming is done in a text editor, even though an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) may be wrapped around the editor.

Repository Systems

A repository is a system for storing code documents. Individual programmers use a repository to track code changes and revert to previous versions when changes are made in error.

A repository has the following defining characteristics:

• It stores the directory and file structure of documents in a project
• Programmers interact with the repository by committing to the store
• The repository maintains a commit history to track document revisions
• Document versions can be reproduced for any point in the commit history.

Collaboration Services

The advantages of using a repository are most evident when collaborating, where each participant contributes work to a project. Collaboration necessitates adding the following features to a repository:

• The repository must be served from a central networked location
• Users should present authentication credentials when committing
• Documents have to be locked while undergoing revision (check out/in), or
• A method of merging changes from multiple sources must be provided.

Markup Languages

Programmers write in special computer languages, and they write static documents in markup languages. Markup is a form of coding which uses simple syntax but, unlike a programming language, markup does not include logic. This project uses an example repository of a markup document which displays as a web page as well, seen at:

http://github.com/aaltsys/sample-collaborate