This document provides an overview of computer programming. It discusses that a computer program is a set of instructions that directs a computer to perform functions. Programs fall into two classes: application programs that perform tasks for users, and operating systems that manage computer resources. Programs are developed using programming languages and tools that translate the source code into machine-readable object code. Key elements of programs include computation steps, loops for repetition, and subroutines like functions. The history of programming began with music boxes and looms controlled by punched cards or paper tape, and modern concepts like stored-programs were introduced by scientists like Babbage, Lovelace, and von Neumann. Future developments include parallel and distributed computing, neural networks, and