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Now I'm not certain there is an answer to this, but I was trying to think of a more elegant way of talking about the ability to understand code and programming concepts. It's a relativity new idea, so I'm open to newly coined phrases, ideas etc.

Example: "Our priority is that our students become literate, numerate and [code literate]"

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    The boundary between writing code (creating "new" apps) and parameterizing (configuring existing "apps") gets increasingly fuzzy these days. Plus there's the difference between being able to read code / parameter script well enough to understand how it works, and actually writing it. Just as plenty of literary critics couldn't write a decent novel or poem, even though they can explain someone else's work in great detail. – FumbleFingers Jan 31 '16 at 13:40
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    I think what you're looking for a word for doesn't really exist as a single, well-understood competency; certainly not in a way that is parallel to literacy and numeracy. The trend that @FumbleFingers identifies is also happening in parallel to devices becoming less configurable and more generally amenable to being directly interacted with (by touch, gesture, voice, etc). – Marq Jan 31 '16 at 15:19
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    @HotLicks "Computer literacy" usually is understood to mean being comfortable with operating a computer—being familiar with concepts like files, directories, and applications. That doesn't require any familiarity with programming languages, which is what the questioner is looking for. – Marq Jan 31 '16 at 15:49
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    @MarkCogan - Any term you choose will be vague and will be quickly corrupted. There is a big difference, eg, between "coding" and "programming". – Hot Licks Jan 31 '16 at 20:23
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    What about "fluent?" – Vedaad Shakib Feb 1 '16 at 1:01
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Savvy could possibly fit your context well.

(adj.) knowledgeable or proficient; often used in combination: tech-savvy, media-savvy

[The Free Dictionary]

Usage:

"Our priority is that our students become literate, numerate and code-savvy"

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  • I also like proficient, though perhaps that suggests a certain ability beyond that of merely understanding code. Code sufficient perhaps? – Ogaday Feb 2 '16 at 3:30
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    @Ogaday - Sounds fine. Interestingly, I got a weird Ngram plot for "code sufficient" and no plots for "code-savvy" (wow!). Whatever works for you... – BiscuitBoy Feb 2 '16 at 5:09
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Fluent is a decent choice, since programming languages fit into the category of languages in general.

able to speak a language easily and very well

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  • Except that fluency is usually associated with a specific language, vs with the ability to reason with the higher concepts involved. – Hot Licks Feb 2 '16 at 3:23
  • @HotLicks Bro, nothing's gonna match what he wants perfectly in one word. I've personally heard fluent being used in this context in many situations. – Vedaad Shakib Feb 3 '16 at 4:53

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