28 Most Interesting Questions (FAQs) About Programming

If you have any interest in coding, there are probably many questions that you have always wanted to ask.

In this article, I have compiled some of the most fun and interesting programming questions into an FAQ.

Some of the questions you will find include:

• What programming languages should you learn?
• Which programming paths are best for the future?
• Will A.I replace programmers?

I have used the most recent scientific data, resources, and statistics to provide the most accurate answers possible to these frequently asked questions.

If you are a beginner programmer, these questions will help you to understand the programming landscape, spot opportunities, and make great decisions regarding your coding career.

1.  What was the first programming language?

The world’s first high-level programming language was Plankalkül.

It was developed by a German engineer, Konrad Zuse, for his Z3 computer. The Z3 was the world’s first programmable and fully automatic digital computer. Zuse created it between 1939 and 1941. ^[1]

Here are a few interesting facts about Plankalkül ^[1]

• Plankalkül is a German term for a formal system for planning.
• Zuse started work on Plankalkül in 1939 and by 1942, he had written a chess program using the language.
• Plankalkül had features commonly found in modern programming languages such as subroutines, conditional statements, iterations, and arrays.

2. When was the first code written?

According to historians, the first computer algorithm was written in 1883 when Ada Lovelace translated the memoir of Italian mathematician Luigi Menabrea about Charles Babbage’s, Analytical Engine.

In the supplementary notes of the memoir, she included a method of calculating Bernoulli numbers using the Analytical Engine. ^{[2] [3]}

The Analytical Engine is widely considered to be the first computer although it was never built due to funding issues and conflicts between Babbage and his chief engineer. ^[2]

Although Ada is usually credited with being the first programmer, some argue that the title should go to Babbage because all but one of the programs cited in her notes had been prepared by Babbage three to seven years earlier. ^[3]

3. How many programming languages are there?

There are at least 700 programming languages but some estimates put the number at over 8,900 (including extinct ones). Below are estimates of the number of programming languages from different sources.

• Wikipedia: 689 ^[4]
• Foldoc: 1,167 ^[5]
• 99 Bottles of Beer: 1,500 ^[6]
• HOPL: 8,945 ^[7]

The huge number of programming languages available can make it a chore to decide what language to learn.

It helps if you can group the languages (e.g. by programming paradigm, abstraction level, or translation method). For more on this, see my article on types of programming languages.

4. Which is the most popular programming language?

The most popular programming language is Python. Here are Python rankings from two commonly used sources.

• According to TIOBE rankings, Python ranks in first place with a rating of 13.4% (in July 2022) compared to C which is placed in second place with a rating of 13.1%. ^[8]
• According to PYPL rankings, Python also ranks in first place with a share of 28.4% (in July 2022) compared to second-placed Java (at 17.5% share). ^[9]

When you look at the Google Trends chart comparing top programming languages, Python (in blue) moved from the fifth position to the first position within 10 years.

Interested in learning Python? Here are some great courses

5. What is the biggest motivator for learning programming?

The overwhelming majority of people (66%), learn to program for career reasons. However, there is a small group (11.4%) that learns programming as a hobby or for starting a business (13.7%) (freeCodeCamp, 2021). ^[11]

Here are the main reasons coders give for learning how to program (freeCodeCamp, 2021). ^[11]

• To change careers: 27.7%
• To start their first career: 26.9%
• To start a business or freelance: 13.7%
• As a hobby: 11.4%

Programming is arguably one of the most useful skills you can choose to learn. It has numerous benefits beyond career and money. To see how programming can make you smarter, happier, and more creative, read my article on the powerful benefits of programming.

6. How much do programmers earn?

Most programming jobs come with a good salary. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary of a computer programmer in the US in 2021 was US$ 93,000. ^[12]

A survey by HackerRank, 2020 ^[13] puts the global annual average salary for a developer at US$ 54,491.

The salary you get can vary depending on many different factors such as:

• The country in which you work.
• Your programming path.
• Your level of experience.

Here are the countries that have the highest salaries for programmers (HackerRank, 2020). ^[13]

• United States: $109,167
• Australia: $88,539
• Canada: $72,771

7. What is the unemployment rate among programmers?

Considering the high demand for programmers, are there any unemployed programmers or software engineers?

The answer is yes but the unemployment rate in the tech sector is quite low. In June 2022, the unemployment rate in the tech sector stood at 1.8% compared to the national average of 3.6%. ^[14]

In fact, in 2020, the US had over 1 million unfilled IT jobs. ^[15]

Here are the tech jobs that had the highest number of openings in June 2022. ^[14]

• Software Developer/ Engineer: 155,501 job openings
• IT Support Specialist: 30,475
• IT Project Manager: 29,184
• Cybersecurity Specialist / Engineer / Analyst:  25,534
• Network Engineer / Architect: 25,304

Generally, if you have programming skills, the chances that you will get a well-paying job are very high.

8. What are the highest-paying programming languages?

In 2022, the highest paying programming language was Clojure with an average salary of US$106,644 per year in the US. (StackOverflow, 2022) ^[10]

Other high-paying programming languages are:

• Erlang: $103,000
• F# : $95,526
• LISP: $95,000
• Ruby: $93,000

Interestingly, popular programming languages like Python ($71,105), C# ($69,516), or JavaScript ($65,580) pay much less than these top-paying languages.

So why isn’t everyone rushing to learn Clojure or Erlang?

The reason is that there many other factors that come into play when choosing a programming language. These play an even bigger role than salary. For a deep dive into this, see my article on how to choose a programming language.

9. What are the most popular programming paths?

Web development was the most popular programming path among coders. In a 2022 survey by StackOverflow, 46.8% of software developers described themselves as full-stack web developers. ^[10] Here is a breakdown of the percentages of developers in different programming paths.

Potentially lucrative paths like Blockchain (2.1%), Security (3.1%), and Data Science (5.6%) were less popular. However, they present a good opportunity to grow your career well into the future (see popular programming paths for more).

10. Which programming careers can you get outside of tech?

According to a survey by freeCodeCamp in 2021,^[11] only 20% of people learning to code have a computer-related degree.

This means that many people who learn programming end up working outside the tech industry.

Here is a breakdown of the top degrees popular with new coders.^[11]

• Computer science, computer engineering, or software engineering degree: 20.5%
• Engineering degree (e.g. civil, electrical, mechanical): 10.5%
• Business-related degree (e.g. accounting, finance, marketing): 7.2%
• Social science degree (sociology, psychology, economics): 5.6%
• Information systems, IT or System administration: 5.2%
• Humanities degree (e.g. literature, history, philosophy): 4.5%

11. Which programming careers will experience the most growth in the future?

Programmers involved in Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Embedded Systems, and Data Science will experience high demand for their services in the future.

Here are growth projections for these industries.

• Artificial Intelligence. The A.I market is expected to grow from $136.6 billion in 2022 to $1,811 billion by 2030 (CAGR of 38.1%). A.I will transform all kinds of industries from transport, healthcare, defense, energy, and food production. ^[17]
• Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT market is expected to grow from US$194 billion in 2022 to US$525 billion in 2027 (CAGR of 22.0%). IoT will transform industries like manufacturing, retail, energy, and robotics. ^[19]
• Big Data. The global big data market is forecast to grow to US$ 103 billion by 2027 from US$ 35 billion in 2018. ^[20]
• Blockchain. The Global Web 3.0 Blockchain Market revenue is expected to reach a value of US$ 23.3 Billion in 2028 from US$ 2.9 Billion in 2021(CAGR of 41.6%). Blockchain will disrupt industries like finance, entertainment, healthcare, and e-commerce. ^[18]

12. Can A.I replace programmers?

Google’s DeepMind has created AlphaCode, an A.I capable of writing code at a competitive level. AlphaCode ranked among the top 54% of participants in coding competitions. ^[22]

If you want to see Alpha Code in action, watch this video.

The success of DeepMind’s A.I shows that A.I can now solve complex coding problems involving critical thinking, logic, and an understanding of algorithms and natural language.

This means that in the future, we can leave the task of writing code to A.I and concentrate on the more creative tasks of programming. We already see that happening with the increasing popularity of A.I coding assistants.

13. How many programmers work remotely?

One of the great advantages of a career in programming is that you can work from home or from anywhere else you choose. You can choose to travel around the world and still work provided you have a good internet connection.

But how many programmers work remotely?

According to a 2022 survey by StackOverflow, roughly 85% of developers work remotely or partially remotely. ^[10]

42.9% workfully remotely while only 14.6% work fully in-person. 42.4% have a hybrid system where they work partly remotely and partly in-person.

Here are the top reasons why developers want to work remotely ^[23]

• 75% want the ability to work from wherever they want to live.
• 70% want to have time to run personal errands.
• 64% want to balance work and passion projects.
• 56% want to care for children and/or family members.

14. Which are the most popular hobbies for programmers?

The top hobby for programmers is listening to music (61% of programmers do this) (HackerRank, 2020). ^[13]

Other top hobbies for programmers are:

• Surfing the web: 52%
• Eating or drinking something: 48.2%
• Exercising or going for a walk: 47.6%
• Checking social media: 40.8%
• Watching videos: 40.2%

15. Can programming make a good hobby?

Programming can be a good hobby even for people already in a programming career. A case in point, 88% of professional developers code outside of work, with 73% of them coding as a hobby (StackOverflow, 2022). ^[10]

Here are the major reasons, why programmers code outside work.

• As a hobby: 72.9%
• To contribute to open-source projects: 26.1%
• For freelance or contract work: 22.6%
• For school or academic work: 14.5%
• For bootstrapping a business: 14.26%.

It is not surprising that many programmers choose to code as a hobby. Programming has many important benefits that you can tap into especially when you are doing it without the stresses of a job.

16. Can you become a professional developer without a college degree?

The majority of programmers (80%) are highly educated and have a college degree (StackOverflow, 2022). ^[10]

However, roughly 20% of programmers have not been to university according to two coder surveys (StackOverflow: 19.5% and freeCodeCamp: 22.4%) ^{[10] [11]}

This clearly shows that you can still have a meaningful career in programming even without a college degree.

However, having a college degree is certainly an advantage, especially when looking for a high-paying job at companies where competition is stiff.

If you don’t have a college degree, you might have to work harder to prove your skills through clever marketing (e.g. by starting a programming blog).

You might also have to tap into different ways of making money from your skill without having to seek employment.

17. Is programming difficult?

Programming has a reputation for being difficult and many people believe that you have to be some kind of mathematical genius to succeed in coding.

However, the programming world is quite diverse. Some aspects of programming are simple while others are much more challenging. Some will require that you be good at math while others will not.

There are many programming paths that you can choose that will enable you to thrive in programming even if you are not the next Linus Torvalds.

Also, even great programmers struggle with programming. For example, 62.3% of coders spend more than 30 minutes a day looking for answers to coding problems (StackOverflow, 2022). ^[10]

18. Can you teach yourself how to code?

A survey by StackOverflow found that 62% of coders learned how to code in school. This implies that at least 38% of coders learned how to code outside of school (StackOverflow, 2022). ^[10]

This is great news especially if you cannot afford to pay for an expensive degree.

There are plenty of learning resources that you can use to teach yourself how to code without breaking the bank.

Some online course platforms (such as Edx and Coursera) even allow you to earn college credits on some courses in case you later want to pursue a college degree.

Here is a breakdown of how coders learned how to code (StackOverflow, 2022) ^[10]

19. Which are the most popular online course platforms for learning programming?

Almost half of all people learning to program (46.4%) use online courses for learning how to code. The most popular course platform is Udemy with 66.5% of users (StackOverflow, 2022). ^[10]

Other popular course platforms are:

Here is a snapshot of what you need to know about these course platforms.

• With Coursera, Codeacademy, and Pluralsight, you can pay a monthly (or yearly) subscription fee and get access to their entire catalog of courses (with thousands of courses). Monthly fees range between $15 and $60 per month.
• Udemy, Udacity, and edX do not have subscription plans at the moment and you have to purchase courses individually.
• All the course platforms above will provide a certificate of completion. However, they are not eligible for college credits except for certain edX and Coursera courses.
• All the platforms have free courses. Some platforms (like Codeacademy) have a free plan while others (like Edx) allow you to audit courses for free.

20. Which are the most popular free learning resources for programming?

There are plenty of free learning resources for programming that you can take advantage of. For almost any programming language, you can find blogs, YouTube channels, forums, and Q&A sites to help you out.

But which are the most popular sources of free coding information? A survey by freeCodeCamp in 2021 highlighted the resources that are most popular with coders ^[11].

Here are the top free learning resources used by most coders (total respondents= 18,000 coders)

• freeCodeCamp: 14,513 coders use this
• StackOverflow: 8,142
• Mozilla Development Network: 4,913
• Khan Academy: 2,885
• CSS Tricks: 2,543

21. What is the average age of programmers?

Are you too young or too old for programming? What is the best age to start programming?

When answering this question, you have to make the distinction between professional programmers (i.e. career programmers) and non-professional programmers.

Most professional developers (46%) are between 25 and 34 years old (StackOverflow, 2022). ^[10] This is almost half of all professional developers. Here is a breakdown of the various age groups.

• Under 18 years: 0.7%
• 18-24 years: 20.1%
• 25-34 years: 45.9%
• 35-44 years: 21.9%
• Over 45 years: 10.9%

This data shows that if you are planning to do programming professionally, it is better to start early so that by the time you are in your twenties, you already have great programming skills.

If you plan to do programming non-professionally (e.g. as a hobby) it doesn’t matter at which age you begin.

Why are there so few professional programmers over the age of 45?

There could be several reasons for this: ^{[24] [25]}

• Companies prefer to hire younger workers because they are cheaper.
• New technologies, libraries, and frameworks keep popping up and older programmers may not have kept up with them.
• Older programmers may have transitioned into non-coding jobs such as managerial roles.

22. Who is the youngest programmer?

The youngest programmer in the world is Kautilya Katariya of Northampton, U.K. He was certified by Guinness World Records on September 6, 2020, at the age of 6 years and 346 days.

Kautilya was born on 27 September 2013 and by the time he was 5 and a half, he had developed a love for computing. As of November 2020, he had received five certifications in Python and AI from IBM. ^{[26], [27]}

23. What was Python Programming language named after?

Although the Python logo looks like two snakes curled up, the programming language is not named after its reptilian namesake.

Python’s creator, Guido Van Rossum, took the name from the BBC TV Comedy show Monty Python’s Flying Circus.^[29]

Guido wanted a name that was unique, concise, and slightly mysterious. At the time, he was reading published scripts from Monty Python’s Flying Circus and he felt that the name fit his requirements.

Since its creation, Python has grown to become the most popular programming language (see why in this article). It is certainly one of the top programming languages to learn as a beginner.

24. What was C Programming named after?

C programming language was developed by Dennis Ritchie in 1972 at Bell Labs. It was based on an earlier programming language called ‘B’. Since ‘C’ follows ‘B’ in the alphabet, he decided to name the programming language ‘C’ to show that‘C’ was influenced by ‘B’. ^[30]

Because so many programming languages are based on C, learning C will help you quickly pick up many other languages. C is also widely used in embedded systems which are becoming popular with the move toward the Internet of Things (IoT).

25. What was Java Programming language named after?

Java was developed by James Gosling and his team at Sun Microsystems in the early 90s. It was released to the public in 1995 and was named one of the top ten products of 1995 by Time Magazine. ^[31]

Where did the name Java come from?

Originally, Java had been named Oak but had to be changed because of trademark infringement issues. So how did they settle on Java?

The popular narrative is that the name Java came from Java coffee, James Gosling’s favorite coffee. However, interviews with people at Sun Microsystems paint a different picture. ^[32]

The name Java came from a series of brainstorming sessions at Sun Microsystems. Out of 10 potential names suggested, three (Java, DNA, and Silk) did not have any trademark issues. They settled on Java because it seemed dynamic, revolutionary, lively, and fun. ^[32]

Java is a great language to learn especially if you are interested in enterprise software and big data (see Top programming languages). It has a large community and numerous learning resources.

26. What is the difference between a computer virus and a computer bug?

These two terms can be confusing to beginners but there is a clear difference.

A virus is malicious code intentionally created to spread and infect other devices with the aim of causing damage and malfunction. A bug is an unintentional error in code that causes software to malfunction. It normally does not replicate and spread. ^{[35] [36] [38]}

Both viruses and bugs can cause significant trouble but viruses are much worse because of their ability to spread. For example, the MyDoom worm caused an estimated $38 billion in damage in 2004 through distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. ^[39] (Programming Facts)

Bugs can also have severe effects, for example, a bug in the Therac-25 medical accelerator reportedly caused the death of five patients between 1985 and 1987. ^{[34] [36]}

Do you wish to learn how to deal with malware or thwart cyber attacks? Check out these great courses

27. What is the difference between programming and coding?

Coding and programming are usually used interchangeably and in many cases, the programmer is also the coder. However, there is a subtle difference between these two terms.

Coding is the process of writing code i.e. writing the set of instructions that tell a computer what to do. Coding is usually done in a programming language like Python, Java, or C++.

Programming is much broader. It encompasses the entire process of creating software including planning, design, coding, testing, and deployment.

Therefore, coding is just one step (although a crucial step) in programming. ^[37]

28. How many programmers are there?

According to an estimate by Developer Nation, there were 24.3 million active software developers in 2021. Out of these, 13 million were software professionals.

The annual growth of developers is estimated at 20% and it is expected that the population of developers will almost double to reach 45 million in 2030. ^[40]

Wrapping Up

Hopefully, you found some useful information to help you in your programming journey.

Programming is an interesting and lucrative field to get into. There are plenty of new opportunities coming up every day. Whether you want to do programming as a career or as a hobby, there is space for you.