Like how exactly can a bunch of letters, numbers, and punctuation symbols make your computer do all kinds of things? Plus what happens inside the computer when it executes the code?
In: Technology
Not exactly ELI5 but if you’re really interested here are some great learning resources for the topic.
https://nandgame.com/
It’s an online game/challenge that guides you through how simple switches can do things like add numbers and perform other instructions.
If you follow it you’ll get to building your own computer from scratch. This is pretty accessible and gets you to the “how do switches do X?” answers.
By the way, it’s free.
If you’re more interested in how programs get translated to ones and zeros you could check out https://craftinginterpreters.com/ (offers free web version).
This guides you through writing your own language interpreter and compiler.
It’s more advanced than nandgame and being able to program is a prerequisite, some rudimentary Python knowledge should be enough to get at least halfway through the book.
If you really want the full experience of designing your own computer and writing a compiler for it check out https://www.nand2tetris.org/
It’s quite similar to nandgame (I think it even inspired nandgame) but imo it feels a bit more fast paced and serious.
The great thing about this course is that it meshes in with the great book “elements of computing systems” (google is your friend).
Nandgame is like playing with legos, nand2tetris is more like taking a course on the subject.
More on the ELI5 level. Have a look at people building computers in Minecraft.
One notable example is this youtuber who is really going through the fundamentals https://youtu.be/osFa7nwHHz4?si=LN5oe_0s4XQfc6Jq
Latest Answers