Yeah, I am aware that binary is pretty much ancient technology, but I was wondering, anyone uses it?
I know binary, but not as a way to program. I can only read binary text, and that's about it. I was thinking that if you know binary, you can pretty much become a master of programming. How true can my theory be? I know a good amount of PHP, limited C++ and C#, and I think they are limited in a way.
No, nobody uses it. The closest you will find to someone who uses binary is someone who codes in Assembly, which is broken down by an Assembler into binary. And no, it will not make you a master coder. It will probably frustrate you a good deal though. If you want to be a master coder, I'd suggest learning a few languages, a lot of enterprise technologies, etc. Programming concepts are always a huge plus.
Low-level programming isn't sexy anymore. What you are refereing to is machine language. Every one uses it, in a way that all highlevel instructions are actually processed by CPU as machine instruction.
Machine languages are introduced as just for educational purpose. The famous example is the ``Art of Computer Programming" a legendary book by Donald Knuth. Knuth argues that using machine language/ assembly language keeps you close to the machine and let you know how things are actually carried out when you pass a simple instruction.
But he himself don't use (or tell anyone to use) machine language for productive use. Most beginners assumes that a skilled programmer like Knuth is because he write machine code which he actually does not.
Machine languages are depreciated as per the philosophy `` Don't do what a computer can do for you". Hence don't remember machine code when a computer can translate higher instructions to the lower machine code.
Programming in machine language will make you nothing more than 'less productive'.
>How true can my theory be?
It's about as close to bullshit as an honest theory can be. Knowing a programming language doesn't make one a master programmer. Learning languages is a good thing, but it's only a small part of being a programmer. There are many harder things that need to be learned before you can become a "master programmer".
For example, if you can write machine code manually, but you can't design and implement any of the projects I give you, you're most certainly not a master. On the other hand, if all you know is VB6 (Visual Basic programmers are often ridiculed for using a "toy" language) but you can complete every project that comes your way in record time and high quality, then you're in the running for being a master programmer.
>I know a good amount of PHP, limited C++
>and C#, and I think they are limited in a way.
Blaming the language for one's own limitations is something only weak programmers do.
I have programmed by opcodes. In hexadecimal representation not binary.
Slow, but if you ever plan on writing assemblers and compilers for stuff like micrcontrollers. It's nice to know.
Unless your computers input is made of toggle switches, and your computer is a fridge sized machine made of resistors and 2N4X geranium transistors. You'd be insane to program in pure binary representation!
>I know a good amount of PHP, limited C++
>and C#, and I think they are limited in a way.
Blaming the language for one's own limitations is something only weak programmers do.
You should have been able to deduce that I am not an expert to the field when I said "Limited C++ and C#", and to the fact that I posted my question in "childish" way if you like (though in that way I finally found an answer). But saying I am "Weak Programmer" on this point is pretty much blank and has no use, because I am sure that I will learn a lot more, when I start going to college.
>You should have been able to deduce that I am not an expert to the field
Oddly enough, I was able to figure that out.
>But saying I am "Weak Programmer" on this
>point is pretty much blank and has no use
I beg to differ. I taught you a valuable lesson: don't blame your tools before blaming yourself. It's a lesson I appreciate greatly, so I'm passing it on to you. If you didn't get all offended by the truth, you may have realized on your own how useful it was.
>because I am sure that I will learn a lot more, when I start going to college.
I'm sure you will too. But I'll also encourage you to learn all you can outside of college as well. You'll be better off that way.
My apologies if my reply sounded kinda rude. I understand your point, but I don't think I can blame myself neither my tools, because really, my knowledge is limited on them, and I haven't tried to do a big (or small, haha) project with them. Probably ignorant on my part. I have the (bad) habit of judging things superficially.
>I'm sure you will too. But I'll also encourage you to learn all you can outside of college as well. You'll be better off that way.
Yep. You know there's a problem when you don't even see HTML in a highschool computer class ;).
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