I'm trying to wrap my head around what a developer actually is and what the benefits of being one are. Do developers have special access or advantages compared to other tech roles? I've heard that with programming knowledge, someone could potentially invade privacy or control devices; is that true? Also, what's the difference between a developer and a programmer? I have some app ideas I'd like to create, but I'm not sure where to start or what I need to learn. Could someone explain what software is and how it affects devices? I'm confused about whether software and apps are the same thing. What are digital certificates and how do you get one? What's their purpose? Lastly, I've seen files like JSON, README, and ZIP on my device—what are these? And what about access tokens; what are they? I really need some clarity on all these points!
3 Answers
A developer is basically someone who creates software. In terms of benefits, they generally make good money, but the "access" you get depends on the job. As for using knowledge to invade privacy, while developers can write secure systems, there's always a risk if the system has vulnerabilities. But most devs focus on building useful applications rather than doing anything malicious.
And about your question on the difference between developers and programmers, they are mostly interchangeable terms, though some companies might define them differently.
For your app ideas, start by identifying what platform you want to build for, like iOS or Android. Depending on that, you should learn relevant programming languages—Swift for iOS or Kotlin for Android, for instance. There are tons of online resources and tutorials for beginners!
Software is really just a collection of code that tells hardware what to do, and yes, apps are a type of software. They’re just designed to perform specific tasks. As for the other terms:
- Certificates can be digital security certificates or educational credentials, depending on the context.
- JSON files are just a format for data interchange—super common in web applications.
- ZIP files compress data to save space.
- A token is a way for applications to securely identify you, often used during API requests.
Exactly! And don't stress too much about learning everything at once—focus on one thing at a time and build your knowledge gradually!
Starting out confused is totally normal in tech! Just remember, creating software can lead to cool opportunities, like solving real-world problems and perhaps even making money. Honestly, the best way to learn is to dive into coding projects; you'll pick up the concepts along the way.
Right! Think of it this way: all developers can code, but not all coders necessarily develop full applications. It’s more about the project focus.