It is something children as young as five are learning to do, but which leaves most adults today completely perplexed.
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As soon as they begin school, students are learning coding to ready them for the expected revolution of tech-based jobs.
Currently in year eight at Wagga Christian College, Allie Harris has been learning the basics through a program called 'Pygame'.
"Technology and coding of some sort is used in most industries now," Allie said.
"The first thing we learnt was about [coding] in the farming industry. We built a watering system, where a micro bit was connected to a bucket of water and if you press certain buttons [a sensor] will tell you if the ground is not very wet and then signal to pump out water."
With ambitions to become a pediatric nurse, Allie is not certain that there will be much need for coding in her future. But, she says, it is better to know the basics than to be left trying to catch up later.
"Scientists are using coding for all sorts of things," she said.
"We don't know what we'll need it for [in the future]. It's a language, and if you learn it early, it sticks in your brain better."
As a year eight student, Allie has been completing the Technology Mandatory course.
According to her teacher, David Ellis, this has been the first year that the basics of coding has had to be taught in the class.
Previously, schools had a choice on whether they would teach their students coding, or continue with other design courses including woodworking or textiles.
"50 hours of coding is now mandatory in years seven and eight," Mr Ellis said.
"After that, they can choose whether they want to continue with it or not."
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Liam Ellis, who has just now finished his HSC, was among the students who opted to continue learning the language of coding beyond the basics.
Hoping to study computer sciences at UNSW to become a software engineer, coding is far more apparently in his future.
But, as a convert to the coding systems, he encourages everyone to learn at least the basics to begin with.
"Technology is improving so much, and we talk about 'oh robots are going to take over our jobs'. You either challenge and fight that or you go with it and have a part in it," Liam said.
Estimating that there are currently more than 50 separate coding 'languages' in existence today, Liam admits the task of learning even just one is more than a little daunting.
"It depends on where you're wanting to use it, with which program, whether it's on PC or Mac. Coding for a website would be different to coding for a game," he said.
"It's complex. You don't have to know it all. A lot of programs will do it for you so that you don't have to know much coding at all."