Imperative programming gives direct commands to computers for specific actions, while declarative programming describes desired results without providing details. Imperative programming, also known as procedural programming, has been used since the 1950s and has evolved to include variables, functions, and object-oriented programming. Declarative programming is the opposite approach.
Imperative programming is a method used by computer programmers. The instructions used in this type of programming give commands to the computer for actions that must be followed. This is the opposite of declarative programming, which is used to tell the computer what needs to be done without giving details of how actions should be taken.
Imperative programming was named after the imperative mood used in natural languages versus constructed languages, such as computer programming languages. When communicating, the imperative is used to give a direct command to someone. These commands usually require a particular action on the part of the audience receiving the message. The command-action result of the imperative mood is the same as this type of programming works with computers.
In some cases, this programming method is also referred to as procedural programming. Procedural programming refers to the fact that this type of computer programming provides procedures for computers to follow so that a program can be built and executed. Procedures are also called subroutines or functions.
Since the 1950s, imperative programming has been used. FORTRAN is an early example of an imperative programming language. By developing FORTRAN and more complex versions of this type of programming, computer programmers were able to create far more intricate programs than they were initially able to do using only the machine code of the computer they were working on. This in turn has allowed computers to evolve so that they are able to create and run much more advanced applications.
Over time, imperative programming languages have become increasingly sophisticated. Variables, expressions, functions and subroutines are now all part of a program written using imperative programming. Modern languages include those that follow object oriented programming. Object-oriented programming uses objects to design and compile computer programs and applications. An object is anything that can be manipulated by running a computer program, including variables, functions, values, and data structures.
Declarative programming is the opposite way of programming from imperative. When computer programmers use declarative programming, they are describing what they want to happen or the desired results of running their program. While results are provided, the process for reaching such alerts is not. The fact that no walkthroughs are provided is the key difference between declarative programming and imperative programming.
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