Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device. Others develop the underlying systems that run the devices or that control networks.

Computer programmers write the code that enables software applications to provide functionality. Microsoft Excel, for example, can produce a chart or a graph based on data from a spreadsheet because a computer programmer designed the program to respond that way to user inputs. All software programs are designed to respond to user inputs in different ways, and detailed programs need to be able to respond to seemingly countless combinations of inputs. It is the job of computer programmers to make sure software programs respond appropriately to users and provide the desired functionality.