Programming Paradigms Overview

Programming Paradigm Overview

• A programming paradigm is a set of related concepts and different approaches to programming.
• Each paradigm has its own pros and cons, but ultimately, they should be able to solve the same problems, just in different ways.
• Experience in multiple paradigms is beneficial, and many programming languages are multi-paradigm, supporting different approaches.

Imperative and Declarative Languages

• Imperative languages have explicit commands, specifying how to solve a problem.
• Declarative languages specify what needs to be done, without telling how to do it.
• Declarative languages, like SQL, express the desired endpoint, and let the compiler or engine figure out how to achieve it.

Imperative Paradigms

• Structural Programming: emphasizes clear, organized code, with abstracting, parameters, and return values, and clear control flow.
• Procedural Programming: uses subroutines to carry out specific tasks on data, often using structured programming.
• Object-Oriented Programming: uses objects and classes to encapsulate behavior and data, with benefits and drawbacks.

Declarative Paradigms

• Functional Programming: expresses problems in a mathematical way, using subroutines, function calls, and recursion, to specify the desired endpoint.
• Functional programming is often used in data science and is a more niche and less commonly used paradigm.

Other Key Points

• Many programming languages lean towards a particular paradigm, but may not always be tightly defined.
• Programming as a field developed rapidly, and definitions have evolved over time.
• There are two high-level approaches: imperative and declarative languages.
• Experience in multiple paradigms can provide context and help in choosing the best approach for a particular problem.

Programming Paradigms Overview

• A programming paradigm is a set of concepts and approaches to solve problems in different ways, with pros and cons.
• Each paradigm can solve the same problems, but with different approaches.
• Experience in multiple paradigms is beneficial, and many languages are multi-paradigm.

Imperative and Declarative Languages

• Imperative languages use explicit commands to specify how to solve a problem.
• Declarative languages specify what needs to be done, without explaining how.
• Declarative languages, like SQL, focus on the desired endpoint and let the compiler figure out how to achieve it.

Imperative Paradigms

Structural Programming

• Emphasizes clear, organized code with abstraction, parameters, and return values.
• prioritizes clear control flow.

Procedural Programming

• Uses subroutines to perform specific tasks on data.
• Often uses structured programming techniques.

Object-Oriented Programming

• Uses objects and classes to encapsulate behavior and data.
• Has benefits and drawbacks.

Declarative Paradigms

Functional Programming

• Expresses problems in a mathematical way.
• Uses subroutines, function calls, and recursion to specify the desired endpoint.
• Often used in data science, and is a niche paradigm.

Other Key Points

• Many languages lean towards a particular paradigm, but may not be strictly defined.
• Programming has evolved rapidly, and definitions have changed over time.
• There are two high-level approaches: imperative and declarative languages.
• Experience in multiple paradigms provides context and helps choose the best approach for a problem.