Coding out of Context: Real-World Applications for Coding

Coding applications go far beyond software development and tech, and there are a range of real-world applications hiding in plain sight. Today, code is generally taken to mean instructions written in a programming language and run on computers for a huge range of functions. In other words, information is converted into different forms and processed, just like one of the original codes: writing, which turned spoken language into symbols that could be stored or transferred. 

These non-tech forms of code have been around for centuries. For example, Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics used images to depict words, and were only deciphered in the 1800s. Braille, a form of written language made up of raised dots embossed on paper and arranged to represent letters and words, made it possible for the blind to read.

Not all coding looks like today’s computer languages, but you’ll still find it in series of symbols used to represent something else.

Coding out of Context

Coding isn’t just today’s languages (like HTML, JavaScript, or Rust) or applications (like encryption or building apps) – it has existed in many forms throughout history. Similarly, cryptography isn’t new: people have been using numbers, letters, symbols, and more to relay messages for thousands of years. Let’s look at some ancient, and not-so-ancient, forms of coding. 

Cuneiform

Developed by Ancient Sumerians around 3200 BC, cuneiform is considered one of the oldest forms of writing. The script used wedge-shaped indentations arranged in several ways to represent a series of syllables that, when combined, created words. 

Examples of cuneiform have been carved into clay tablets, chiseled into stone, and written on scrolls, though many older examples have been destroyed in conflicts or lost to time. Many scholars believe cuneiform was used as the basis for hieroglyphics, while others feel hieroglyphics is a unique system.

Hieroglyphics 

Hieroglyphics were created in Egypt around 5,000 years ago. A hieroglyph is a picture that represents a word, sound, or syllable. They’re read from top to bottom, with the heads of human and animal symbols pointing to the start of the script. 

Some use it to describe other picture-based scripts, but the term hieroglyphics only applies to the scripts or sacred carvings on Ancient Egyptian pyramids and monuments.

Onnade

In the 9th Century, women of the Japanese imperial court developed onnade to exchange information, write poetry, and communicate with each other. 

As the men of the court used kanji, onnade was a private way for women to express their opinions openly. By the 10th century, it developed into hiragana, a syllabic script used by men and women.

Runes

The origin of runes dates back to the second or third century. Ancient Germans adapted letters from the Roman and Greek alphabet to make carving them into stone and wood easier. Originally from the Old English rūn (a secret), there’s no record of it being used between Middle English and the late 1600s. After this point, it was reintroduced by the Scandinavians. 

The alphabet then underwent more adaptations and symbols were made to represent entire names, words, or phrases, much like hieroglyphics. It kept its mysterious name – runar means “hidden lore” in Old Norse.

Smoke Signals 

Beacon fires, often seen as a precursor to smoke signals, were first used in 900 BC in China. If an invading force was sighted from the Great Wall, a large signal fire was lit in the observer’s tower. Once other guards at corresponding towers along the wall saw the fire they lit theirs as well, signaling to soldiers to be ready for an attack. Using this method they could relay a message up to 300 miles in a few hours.

Later, the Plains Native Americans used beacon fires and smoke signals. These signals were often unique to each tribe as they were used to send top-secret messages over long distances. Since anyone could see them, it was important that no-one else could decipher them. 

Some standardized signals were used to transmit basic messages. For instance, one puff meant “attention,” while two puffs let the receiver know “all is well.” Smoke signals were faster than carrying messages by foot or horse, and often much less dangerous.

Braille

In the 1800s, a Frenchman named Charles Barbier de la Serre created a “night writing” code based on sounds and raised dots on a grid to convey messages. Unreadable to the untrained hand, it was ideal for use in military applications. Barbier eventually presented it to the Royal Institution of Blind Children, but Louis Braille perfected the alphabet.

The creation of braille made it easy for the visually impaired to read and learn. Each character is set in a cell consisting of two columns of raised dots, with the specific position of dots in each cell creating letters. Each character has a precise combination.

Knit Stitches 

Knitting became a popular way to send confidential information during the First and Second World Wars. Intelligence officers recruited knitters to transmit information. Specific stitches represented different types of information, like how many train cars passed carrying enemy troops, or the number of artillery cars that went by. 

As it was common for people to knit gifts and send them to family members fighting in the wars, the blankets and garments containing messages passed by unnoticed. Some knitters used specific colors to represent Morse code’s different spaces, dashes, and dots, sending complete messages in a sweater.

Morse Code

In the 1930s, Morse code, a system of spaces, dots, and dashes, was created by Samuel Morse and later perfected by his partner Alfred Vail. It means electrical pulses or visual cues (e.g. light flashes) could be used to send complete English sentences over long distances. Eventually, Morse code was modified to work with other languages, too.

Morse code still effectively communicates punctuation, numbers, and letters, though long-distance text communications are easier thanks to mobile phones and the internet. Text communications are still encoded though, if you use encrypted messaging services.

The Impact of Coding in Modern Society

Coding may not be the first thing you think of when you watch sports or buy cosmetics and clothing, but it plays an integral role in pretty much every industry. Programming and design software require coding, and they’re a critical resource for almost every industry. 

Architecture

Architectural design software helps architects map structures, create 3D models, and create an overall visual of how a building will look once completed. Generative design is an offset of visual programming, which can be used to design multiple concepts that meet client requirements. Architects use specific metrics to gauge the outcome of a design and determine where flaws exist to help companies avoid dangerous or costly mistakes. 

Virtual reality simulations can also be created to give prospective clients an idea of the structures a company can build and provide an advanced preview of what a room or building will look like when it’s complete. Real estate agents can use 3D walk-throughs as a safer, less time-consuming way to give renters or buyers a detailed look at properties.

Fashion and Beauty

Code powers ecommerce for major fashion and beauty companies. As well as helping companies design new apparel and create marketing campaigns, AR and VR applications help clients see what the finished product will look like on them. Some manufacturers have even begun using VR influencers that use artificial intelligence to promote and sell their goods or services.

Makeup manufacturers can use computer programs to determine which oil, mineral, or shade of color to add to create a product. The resulting formula can be sent straight to an automated machine that uses the measurements from the program to develop the product.

Government

The US Federal Government allocated over $24 billion for federal IT investments in 2023 – and that’s just US IT investments. Practically all world governments rely heavily on code for website, device, database, financial sector, energy, and military applications.

Software automates processes that previously took months to complete, and coding is used to run websites and services that give citizens access to tax information, birth records, and other vital information in a few clicks. Data transmitted over any government service is usually protected by strong encryption to help ensure the highest security and privacy standards for sensitive personal information.

Science

Science programming is used to test theories and perform experiments without any real-world repercussions. These simulations allow scientists to predict the outcomes of specific scenarios, perfect processes, and perform more efficient research and testing.

Computers can perform research and reproduce multiple scenarios faster than human researchers, making coding an important aspect of scientific discoveries. They can also do calculations, store data, analyze research, and perform several time-consuming processes that take humans days or months in minutes or hours.

Sports

Sports coding is also known as sports performance analysis. The concept combines recording video and data about team or individual performance. Several software programs exist solely for sports coding, they can help coaches determine game plans, personalized and team training programs, and more. Once the game data is compiled, it’s ‘coded’ to create solutions for areas where players and coaches can improve.

Coding in Tech

Code powers networks, software, hardware, apps, security measures, and more. One of the most well-known forms of coding is encryption, which uses complex ciphers to make data unreadable in transit. This has multiple applications, from banks protecting sensitive financial information to VPNs masking traffic to secure data leaving devices.

Open sourcing code makes it easier to find issues, develop new products, and keep development costs down, and maintain stability. For example, Linux has built an entire empire on its open-source operating systems, with other products, including Linux VPN and antivirus providers, offering apps and services designed to support the OS’s unique build. Beyond Linux, open-source programs like LibreOffice provide a transparent alternative to other office suites. 

What’s Next for Code?

From deciphering ancient runes to knitting confidential information to encrypting traffic for data security, code has been around in one way or another for centuries. Using symbols, punctuation, stitches, characters, numbers, pulses, and more, people have communicated, told their history, and hidden information in plain sight. Coding is involved in product design, ad campaigns, and schematics creation, and much more so there’s no telling where creative minds and skilled programmers will take it next.