What writing code actually looks like in 2026 — languages, IDEs, AI assistants, git, GitHub.
IT Landscape Module 2
A formal language a human writes so a computer can do something predictable with it.
| Language | Where you'll find it |
|---|---|
| Python | Data, AI/ML, scripting, backends |
| JavaScript / TypeScript | Everywhere on the web — browsers + Node.js backends |
| Java | Enterprise systems + Android |
| C# | Windows, Unity games, Microsoft-shop enterprise |
| Go | Cloud infrastructure, CLIs (Docker, Kubernetes) |
| Rust | Systems, performance-critical, replacing C/C++ in places |
| Swift | iOS apps |
| Kotlin | Android + JVM backends |
Plus C / C++ — still huge in operating systems, embedded, games.
An IDE (integrated development environment) is a text editor with a lot of brains. It:
Names you'll hear (as of 2026):
The biggest shift in how code gets written since the internet.
Most engineers in 2026 use at least one daily. AI writes a meaningful fraction of new code; the engineer's job has shifted toward direction, review, and ownership.
Git remembers every change you make to your code.
.git folder.git add — choose what to save.git commit — snapshot it with a message.git push — send it to a shared server.That's 80% of daily git.
GitHub is the most popular place to keep your git repositories. It also runs:
Alternatives: GitLab, Bitbucket, Codeberg, Gitea.
def greet(name):
return f"Hello, {name}!"
people = ["Ada", "Linus", "Grace"]
greetings = [greet(p) for p in people]
if __name__ == "__main__":
for line in greetings:
print(line)
You don't need to run this — just notice the indentation and the readable shape.
interface User {
id: number;
name: string;
}
function greet(user: User): string {
return `Hello, ${user.name}!`;
}
const users: User[] = [
{ id: 1, name: "Ada" },
{ id: 2, name: "Linus" },
];
users.forEach((u) => console.log(greet(u)));
Same idea, different language. Notice the explicit types — that's the “TS” in TypeScript.
Most software is built on free, open code.
You install dependencies with one command:
npm installpip installgo getReal apps have hundreds of indirect dependencies. Security and licensing matter.
Most of a working programmer's day.
Engineers read more code than they write.
Skills:
Lesson 14 returns to this map.