Veteran software developers know the Hello World program as the first step in learning to code. The program, which outputs some variant of “Hello, World!” on a device’s display, can be created in most languages, making it some of the most basic syntax involved in the coding process. In fact, a recent project at the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) at Louisiana Tech found that there are at least 204 versions of the program.
Traditionally, Hello World programs are used to illustrate how the process of coding works, as well as to ensure that a language or system is operating correctly. They are usually the first programs that new coders learn, because even those with little or no experience can execute Hello World both easily and correctly.
Above all, Hello World is simple. That’s why it is so often used as a barometer of program success. If Hello World does not work effectively within the framework, then it is likely that other, more complex programs will also fail. As one expert at Win-Vector puts it, Hello World is actually a confrontational program. “The author is saying ‘it isn’t obvious your computer system will work, so I am not going to invest a lot of time in it until I see it can at least print one line of text,’” Win-Vector blogger John Mount says.
But this two-word phrase has big implications for the field of computer science. With Hello World as a foundation, novice programmers can easily understand computer science principles or elements. And professionals with years of coding experience can use it to learn how a given programming language works, especially in terms of structure and syntax. With applications at all skill levels and in almost every language, there is a long history behind such a short program.
Uses
The main use for Hello World programs was outlined above: It is a way for rookie coders to become acquainted with a new language. However, the applications of these programs go beyond an introduction to the coding world. Hello World can, for example, be used as a sanity test to make sure that the components of a language (its compiler, development and run-time environment) have been correctly installed. Because the process involved in configuring a complete programming toolchain is lengthy and complex, a simple program like Hello World is often used as a first-run test on a new toolchain.
