Programming paradigm

Overview

A programming paradigm is a fundamental style of computer programming that provides a way of building the structure and elements of computer programs. Paradigms are based on distinct concepts and methodologies, and they influence the way programmers think about and solve problems.

Diagram illustrating various programming paradigms

Types of Programming Paradigms

Programming paradigms can be broadly classified into several categories, each with its own unique approach to program design and implementation.

Imperative Programming

Imperative programming is a paradigm that uses statements to change a program's state. It focuses on describing how a program operates, using constructs such as loops, conditionals, and variables. This paradigm is closely related to the Von Neumann architecture of computers.

Declarative Programming

Declarative programming is a paradigm that expresses the logic of a computation without describing its control flow. It focuses on what the program should accomplish rather than how to accomplish it. Examples include functional programming and logic programming.

Functional Programming

Functional programming is a paradigm that treats computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions and avoids changing-state and mutable data. It emphasizes the application of functions, often using higher-order functions and recursion.

Object-Oriented Programming

Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a paradigm based on the concept of "objects", which can contain data and code to manipulate that data. OOP is centered around the principles of encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism.

Logic Programming

Logic programming is a paradigm based on formal logic. Any computation is expressed as logical statements, and the execution of a program is the process of proving these statements. Prolog is a well-known logic programming language.

Procedural Programming

Procedural programming is a paradigm derived from structured programming, based on the concept of procedure calls. Procedures, also known as routines, subroutines, or functions, contain a series of computational steps to be carried out.

Related Pages

• Computer programming
• Software engineering
• Programming language
• Algorithm