What is SOC Automation?
This is the Make Me a Programmer glossary entry for SOC Automation. What is SOC Automation: A Quick Definition SOC Automation (Security Operations Center Automation) refers to the use of automated tools and workflows to enhance cybersecurity threat detection, investigation, and response. By leveraging machine learning and orchestration platforms, SOC teams can reduce manual workloads, prioritize real threats, and improve response times. SOC Automation, Explained Like You’re Five Imagine you have a big castle, and there are guards watching for bad guys all the time. But instead of the guards running around checking everything themselves, they have magical helpers that can watch, listen, and even chase away bad guys super fast.…
What is Log Parsing?
This is the Make Me a Programmer glossary entry for log parsing. What Is Log Parsing? A Quick Definition Log parsing is the process of analyzing and extracting meaningful information from log files, which record various system, application, or network activities. Logs typically contain a series of time-stamped events or entries, each representing an action or state within a system, such as errors, warnings, or performance metrics. By parsing these logs, users can identify patterns, troubleshoot issues, monitor system health, and ensure security by detecting anomalies. Log parsing involves breaking down unstructured log data into structured components for easier analysis, often by using regular expressions, scripts, or specialized parsing tools.…
What Is the Best Way to Learn C#? A Complete Introduction
Let’s talk about learning today. Specifically, let’s talk about learning a programming language. What’s the best way to learn C#? For the most part on this blog, we’ve answered questions that non-programmers might have about the world of programming when they’re thinking of breaking in. And while I suppose learning a programming language could fall into this category, it’s a little more specific. But I wanted to examine this topic with a blog post for a specific reason. I happened to Google “best way to learn C#” and find that something was consistently missing from the results. Don’t get me wrong. The results are helpful. It’s just that they seem to focus…
Is Programming Hard? Here’s What You Need to Know
Is programming hard? This is a question many non-programmers ask me. This makes it rank up there with questions like, “do programmers work from home” and “what kind of education do you need to be a programmer?” Inquiring minds want to know. But unlike some of those questions, this one is actually pretty tough. It’s a simple question, but the answer is very nuanced. So let’s dive into it, in detail, and help you understand whether programming is difficult or not. Is Programming Hard? The Short Answer So first off, let’s tackle the question with a short and direct answer. This will set the stage for the remainder of the…
What is a Stack?
This is the Make Me a Programmer glossary entry for a stack. What is a Stack? A Quick Definition In programming, a stack is a data structure that follows the Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) principle. It is a collection of elements where new items are added to the top, and only the topmost item can be removed or accessed. Stacks are commonly used in various algorithms and applications, such as function calls and managing program flow, due to their efficient insertion and removal operations. Think of one of those things you used to keep in your car to pay tolls. You’d push coins into them, and when you wanted to take a coin…
What is a Programming Language?
This is the Make Me a Programmer glossary entry for programming language. What is a Programming Language? A Quick Definition A programming language is a set of instructions and rules used to communicate with computers and create software applications. It provides a structured way for programmers to write code and give commands to a computer, enabling it to perform specific tasks and operations. Programming languages serve as a bridge between human-readable code and machine-executable instructions, allowing developers to build a wide range of software and applications. Programming Language, Explained Like You’re Five Imagine you have a magic wand, and you want to tell your toy robot or your computer what to…
What Is Polymorphism?
This is the Make Me a Programmer glossary entry for polymorphism. What is Polymorphism? A Quick Definition Polymorphism in programming is the ability of objects of different types to be treated as objects of a common parent type. It allows for the interchangeability of objects, enabling them to respond differently to the same method call based on their specific implementations. Polymorphism promotes code reusability, flexibility, and modularity in object-oriented programming. If that all sounds a little overwhelming to you, fear not. This is why we have a few levels of definition in these glossary entries. Polymorphism, Explained Like You’re Five Imagine you have a box of different toys, like cars, dolls,…
What Is the Best Programming Book for Beginners?
I know, I know. You’re here looking for the best programming book for beginners (if you came here from Google). The one book to rule them all, as it were. I wish I could give you that. I wish anyone could. But here’s the thing. Programming is so involved—so complex—that anyone offering a book like that is selling you snake oil. There are bootcamps and four-year CS degrees dedicated to preparing you for a programming career. No one book is going to stand in for that. And that applies even if you’re looking for a hobby, rather than a career. So, what I’ll do in this post is make some…
Why Are There So Many Programming Languages?
Recently, an outsider to the programming world offhandedly asked me a question: “why are there so many programming languages?” This gave me pause for a moment. When you’re steeped in the programming world, you just kind of take this for granted. In that sense, it’s like me asking you right now, “why are there so many spoken languages on Earth?” But I reflected a little further on it. And I decided it would make good fodder for this blog—one that answers questions asked by newbie and aspiring programmers. We answer questions about whether software engineers are happy and whether programmers should blog. Why not this question? So let’s look at…
Are Software Engineers Happy? Yes, They Are, and Here’s Why
On this blog, we’ve taken on some questions that seem as though they’d be too general to answer. For instance, we looked at what programmers wear to work and whether programming is hard. And now, in that same vein, I’ll answer the question, “are software engineers happy?” Of course, you must understand that this involves painting with a broad brush. How could it not? So the idea here isn’t to peg every software engineer on the planet, nor to speak in absolutes. Rather, it’s about taking a look at the most common case for those of us in the field. I’ll give you a short, quick answer. Then I’ll list…
