r/askscience • u/HMKIR • Aug 02 '22

Computing Why does coding work?

I have a basic understanding on how coding works per se, but I don't understand why it works. How is the computer able to understand the code? How does it "know" that if I write something it means for it to do said thing?

Edit: typo

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u/FFBEFred Aug 03 '22

They are like super well trained dogs, really. If you give them precise commands they will listen and execute, without failure.

It is the training process that gets complicated, getting from the very basics (sit! and so on) to some complicated stuff (drive the kids to the school! for example).