What is Imperative Programming?
Imperative programming is a programming paradigm that describes computation as statements that change a program state. It is one of the oldest programming paradigms and forms the foundation of many modern programming languages.
In imperative programming, you give the computer a sequence of tasks, which it then executes. These tasks usually involve changing the state of the system by creating variables, assigning values, and manipulating these values with various operations. The focus is on how to perform tasks.
Characteristics of Imperative Programming
- Statement-driven: Code consists of a series of statements that change the state of the program.
- Control Structures: Uses loops, conditionals, and subroutines (functions or methods) to control the flow of execution.
- Variable Manipulation: Heavily relies on variables that represent the system’s state at any given time.
- Common Languages: C, Golang, Java, Python (also supports other paradigms).
What is Declarative Programming?
Declarative programming is a programming paradigm that emphasizes the what of programming without explicitly detailing the how. It allows you to describe what the program should accomplish without specifying the detailed steps required to achieve it. This paradigm is utilized in various domains like database queries, configuration management, and UI development.
In declarative programming, you specify the logic of computation without describing its control flow. It focuses on the end result rather than the process to achieve that result. This abstraction aims to simplify the coding process by removing the need to handle intricate details.
Characteristics of Declarative Programming
- High-level Abstraction: Abstracts away the implementation details, allowing focus on the problem domain.
- Less Code: Often requires less code compared to imperative approaches, as the underlying system handles many details.
- Maintenance: Easier to maintain and modify, as changes can be made declaratively without altering the underlying procedures.
- Control flow: Control flow is not explicitly defined by the programmer. Instead, it’s managed by the underlying execution model of the language or framework, which interprets the declarations and acts accordingly.
- Common Languages and Styles: SQL (for databases), HTML (for web layouts), Functional languages like Haskell.