30-Second Coding
The 50 essential principles that instruct technology, each explained in half a minute
Published on 5. October 2021
Book
Hardback
160 pages
978-0-7112-6364-2 (ISBN)
Description
The successful 30-Second series tackles coding, the science of programming the technology which operates in almost every aspect of modern life.
Computer code operates behind nearly everything we do - from small calculations in the home to complex executions that drive the global economy. It influences who we see, follow, and like online and describes the websites we visit, the connections between them, the sounds heard on Spotify and videos watched on YouTube.
There is very little we do which hasn't, in some way, been codified, analysed, and computed electronically, yet few of us possess a basic understanding of that ultimate language barrier. That's a shame, because coding is the key to so much. Simple programming concepts can explain plenty about the modern world and the changes to come in the age of AI.
With insightful text edited by computer scientist and technology podcaster Mark Steadman and contributions from other industry experts, learn the origins of computer code, from the first computers developed in during the Industrial Revolution, through the codebreaking machines used during World War II to the hyperfast computers of the present day.
Have all the key terms of this fascinating science explained in simple, bitesize chunks of information-rich text, as well as meeting the key figures who have helped make computer science what it is today.
From algorithms and scripts to block-chain, bits and bots, turn to 30-Second Coding to reveal the secrets behind this fascinating subject.
Computer code operates behind nearly everything we do - from small calculations in the home to complex executions that drive the global economy. It influences who we see, follow, and like online and describes the websites we visit, the connections between them, the sounds heard on Spotify and videos watched on YouTube.
There is very little we do which hasn't, in some way, been codified, analysed, and computed electronically, yet few of us possess a basic understanding of that ultimate language barrier. That's a shame, because coding is the key to so much. Simple programming concepts can explain plenty about the modern world and the changes to come in the age of AI.
With insightful text edited by computer scientist and technology podcaster Mark Steadman and contributions from other industry experts, learn the origins of computer code, from the first computers developed in during the Industrial Revolution, through the codebreaking machines used during World War II to the hyperfast computers of the present day.
Have all the key terms of this fascinating science explained in simple, bitesize chunks of information-rich text, as well as meeting the key figures who have helped make computer science what it is today.
From algorithms and scripts to block-chain, bits and bots, turn to 30-Second Coding to reveal the secrets behind this fascinating subject.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Quarto Publishing PLC
Illustrations
60
Dimensions
Height: 230 mm
Width: 180 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-7112-6364-2 (9780711263642)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Mark Steadman
30-Second Coding
The 50 essential principles that instruct technology, each explained in half a minute
E-Book
12/2021
Ivy Press
€21.49
Available for download
Person
Mark Steadman is a computer programmer and digital creative spanning tech and podcasting. He is the founder and creator of podcast hosting company, Podiant.
Content
6 Introduction
Chapter 1: First Computers
12 GLOSSARY
14 The Industrial Revolution
16 The Difference Engine
18 Profile: Ada Lovelace
20 Human Computers
22 Task-Specific Computers
24 Mechanical Computers
26 Codebreakers
28 Instruction Sets & Stored
Programs
30 The Fetch-Execute Cycle
32 The Transistor Revolution
34 The Personal Computer Age
Chapter 2: Instructing Computers
38 GLOSSARY
40 Assembly Language
42 Fortran: The First High-Level
Language
44 Profile: Grace Hopper
46 Procedural Languages
48 Compiled Code
50 Object-Oriented Programming
(OOP)
52 Code Libraries
54 Running Code in the Cloud
Chapter 3: Code Concepts
58 GLOSSARY
60 Binary & Bits
62 Data Types
64 Profile: Linus Torvalds
66 Data Structures: Arrays
68 Variables
70 If-Then-Else: Conditional
Statements
72 Loops & Iterations
74 Profile: Steve Wozniak
76 Functions
78 Making Code Portable
80 Buffering & Caches
82 Eventual Consistency
Chapter 4: What Coders Do
86 GLOSSARY
88 User Interface & User Experience
90 Profile: Tim Berners-Lee
92 Database Operation: CRUD
94 Web Development
96 Scripting
98 Engineering
100 Agile Development & the Scrum
102 Hacking
104 Debugging
106 Scaling & Pseudocode
Chapter 5: Solving Problems with Code
110 GLOSSARY
112 Algorithms
114 The FizzBuzz Test
116 Sorting & Big O Notation
118 The Two Generals Problem
120 Compression & the Huffman Tree
122 Search Engine Optimization
124 Face Detection
126 Unicode
128 End-to-End Encryption
130 Pattern Matching Languages
132 Profile: Larry Page
Chapter 6: Modern Concerns & Concepts
136 GLOSSARY
138 AI: Artificial Intelligence
140 Black Box
142 Computers Cannot Determine Truth
144 What is Blockchain?
146 Detecting Bots
148 Integrated Development
Environment
150 Profile: Alan Turing
152 Appendices
154 Resources
156 Notes on Contributors
158 Index
160 Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: First Computers
12 GLOSSARY
14 The Industrial Revolution
16 The Difference Engine
18 Profile: Ada Lovelace
20 Human Computers
22 Task-Specific Computers
24 Mechanical Computers
26 Codebreakers
28 Instruction Sets & Stored
Programs
30 The Fetch-Execute Cycle
32 The Transistor Revolution
34 The Personal Computer Age
Chapter 2: Instructing Computers
38 GLOSSARY
40 Assembly Language
42 Fortran: The First High-Level
Language
44 Profile: Grace Hopper
46 Procedural Languages
48 Compiled Code
50 Object-Oriented Programming
(OOP)
52 Code Libraries
54 Running Code in the Cloud
Chapter 3: Code Concepts
58 GLOSSARY
60 Binary & Bits
62 Data Types
64 Profile: Linus Torvalds
66 Data Structures: Arrays
68 Variables
70 If-Then-Else: Conditional
Statements
72 Loops & Iterations
74 Profile: Steve Wozniak
76 Functions
78 Making Code Portable
80 Buffering & Caches
82 Eventual Consistency
Chapter 4: What Coders Do
86 GLOSSARY
88 User Interface & User Experience
90 Profile: Tim Berners-Lee
92 Database Operation: CRUD
94 Web Development
96 Scripting
98 Engineering
100 Agile Development & the Scrum
102 Hacking
104 Debugging
106 Scaling & Pseudocode
Chapter 5: Solving Problems with Code
110 GLOSSARY
112 Algorithms
114 The FizzBuzz Test
116 Sorting & Big O Notation
118 The Two Generals Problem
120 Compression & the Huffman Tree
122 Search Engine Optimization
124 Face Detection
126 Unicode
128 End-to-End Encryption
130 Pattern Matching Languages
132 Profile: Larry Page
Chapter 6: Modern Concerns & Concepts
136 GLOSSARY
138 AI: Artificial Intelligence
140 Black Box
142 Computers Cannot Determine Truth
144 What is Blockchain?
146 Detecting Bots
148 Integrated Development
Environment
150 Profile: Alan Turing
152 Appendices
154 Resources
156 Notes on Contributors
158 Index
160 Acknowledgments