Imperative programming: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Type of programming paradigm in computer science}}

{{more citations needed|date=October 2011}}

In [[computer science]], '''imperative programming''' is a [[programming paradigm]] of [[software]] that uses [[Statement (computer science)|statement]]s that change a program's [[state (computer science)|state]]. In much the same way that the [[imperative mood]] in [[natural language]]s expresses commands, an imperative program consists of [[command (computing)|command]]s for the [[computer]] to perform. Imperative programming focuses on describing ''how'' a program operates step by step (generallywith general order of the steps being determined in [[source code]] by the placement of statements one below the other),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jain |first=Anisha |date=2022-12-10 |title=Javascript Promises— Is There a Better Approach? |url=https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/javascript-promises-is-there-a-better-approach-dd6a0a329131 |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=Medium |language=en |archive-date=2022-12-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220020247/https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/javascript-promises-is-there-a-better-approach-dd6a0a329131 |url-status=live }}</ref> rather than on high-level descriptions of its expected results.

The term is often used in contrast to [[declarative programming]], which focuses on ''what'' the program should accomplish without specifying all the details of ''how'' the program should achieve the result.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Imperative programming: Overview of the oldest programming paradigm |url=https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/websites/web-development/imperative-programming/ |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=IONOS Digitalguide |date=21 May 2021 |language=en |archive-date=2022-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503083342/https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/websites/web-development/imperative-programming/ |url-status=live }}</ref>