Specialist computer-programmers are often known as software engineers, or software-developers. The profession has been out there and developing for as long as computer systems themselves have. With no programs to give them instructions, computers would just be 'dumb' boxes with no role to play. You'll find programs running in practically every item of technological-hardware you own. Undoubtedly, a lot of this is what we call firmware, or a simple operating system which allows the equipment to function; video-recorders & DVD or Blu-ray players are examples of these. The on-screen interface which you use to set a Television recording, or the navigation-menu which pops-up when viewing a DVD is all software. The fact that you see a motion picture when you press 'Play' on a DVD or Blu-ray Player, is merely a function of a piece of a software program which pulls the 1's and 0s off a disc, & then de-crypts them into video information at incredible speed.

In its most basic format, a program will use a specific 'language' to inform a piece of electronics exactly how to perform a task. As you may suppose, that hugely over simplifies the task. There are likely to be up to a hundred different programs working behind the scenes of your Windows desktop-computer. They're what actually permit you to do anything as they sustain the entire system. Basically, there are two levels of programs for computers; the operating-system (or low level) software, & the applications which run together with them. 'Windows' from MS is most likely the operating system the majority of us know best. An entire suite of programs have to inter-act here to make your PC do anything you require of it - from controlling your desk-top space, to managing your interaction with it, to hooking you up to the web or to your network etc.

C is generally the most commercially feasible languages for the student computer-programmer to start learning. Not only is it very disciplined, its also the basis for a number of other modern programming-languages. As a result once you've learned 'C', getting to grips with other languages will be much easier. It's also the principle systems language, and is one of MS's leading supported 'languages' in both Visual Studio (the MS 'development' environment,) & it's accreditation structure. Knowing there is such a wide scope of commercial certification, & such apparent endorsement by MS, any programming trainee would be unwise to dismiss the value of grasping 'C'. Although it was not referred to as 'C' until the nineteen seventies, the 'language' started life in the sixties. The transformation into 'object oriented' C++ (in other words the program isn't just one single, linear sequence of events - it may be many objects communicating with each other) was made during the eighties. MS announced their '.NET' enabled release of 'C' when we welcomed in the 21st century. It came to be referred to as 'C#', and is the release used around the world today. '.Net' was obviously a large advancement, as Windows software-writers could now gain access to pre written programs that did so many basic tasks on their behalf.

As with every other 'technical' certification, an exact goal must be reached on where it is you want to get to, to ensure the best approach to that position can be calculated. Signing up for a training course in some sort of ad-hoc way may very well bring about you arriving at a totally different position to the one you thought you had been working towards. The IT field can seem incredibly complicated to an outsider, and software certifications often just appear like a list of Acronyms. We'd recommend you talk to a skilled expert before you decide on your ultimate career track. You could save a few months or sometimes years of precious time, and a lot of investment with an informed conversation.

MS updated their foremost certification tracks a number of years ago, making the move from the earlier 'Microsoft Certified Application/Solutions Developer' ('MCAD'/'MCSD') to the now current 'Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist' ('MCTS') & Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) exams. Before you can undertake the complete MCPD exam, make sure you complete 2 'MCTS' programs first. Don't be misled because Microsoft call their first unit a 'foundation' unit. If you're a new comer to programming, think about doing a programming-introduction module first. We'd equally advise taking a support certification leading up to all this, so that you can gain a professional idea of software-environments and support. You can then go into the industry doing support-work whilst you carry on with your studies. Usual training periods tend to be close to 600 - 700 hours to do a complete career-track, & so you would usually prepare for 12 - 18m of part-time training.

There's an ever increasing trend to network and internet-based software now, as the world moves closer & closer to the idea of Cloud computing. This is a term which means that all of your files are located out in the 'ether', for them to be accessed from anywhere. Everything - even the basic processing - is carried out in the 'cloud' of computers. Your only requirement ultimately will be a very basic, simple 'terminal' that is plugged (or wirelessly-connected) into the Network.

Systems-programmers operate in low-level languages such as 'C', though modern-day C is a far cry from the original C - and its really a lot more user-friendly today. Applications programmers work in a number of different higher level 'languages', and there are far too many to name all of them, but each will have their own list of rules and instructions - and may well suit a specific task more readily than another. By way of example a programmer writing database software for corporate use would work with a 'language' suited to that environment, but a software engineer writing games software would most likely use 'C', to attain swift running speeds. It really doesn't make a difference if screen changes take a couple of milli-seconds longer with database applications, but it matters a tremendous amount with games applications. We need capabilities that are intended to make life easier for the database-user, consequently a stripped down 'language' created for speed would be wholly in-appropriate. You might compare it to the difference between a racing-car & a family-estate. The five plus seater estate is practical and more comfortable, but it's certainly not designed for speed. For the function of taking the kids from one place to another though, it ticks all the right boxes.

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