Imperative programming

In <a href="/facts/Computer_science/lN3pEyPz">computer science</a>, imperative programming is a <a href="/facts/Programming_paradigm/7LwgRpB3">programming paradigm</a> of <a href="/facts/Software/RP79lVSW">software</a> that uses <a href="/facts/Statement_(computer_science)/bEkBufqX">statements</a> that change a program's <a href="/facts/State_(computer_science)/4Yu8xXHS">state</a>. In much the same way that the <a href="/facts/Imperative_mood/E3zRtPgJ">imperative mood</a> in <a href="/facts/Natural_language/B4gLS7Kd">natural languages</a> expresses commands, an imperative program consists of <a href="/facts/Command_(computing)/zUrvQbFy">commands</a> for the <a href="/facts/Computer/SQe1aK05">computer</a> to perform. Imperative programming focuses on describing how a program operates step by step (generally order of the steps being determined in <a href="/facts/Source_code/o9J6Jv23">source code</a> by the placement of statements one below the other), rather than on high-level descriptions of its expected results.
The term is often used in contrast to <a href="/facts/Declarative_programming/gogtdzcJ">declarative programming</a>, which focuses on what the program should accomplish without specifying all the details of how the program should achieve the result.

Imperative programming open-in-new

Imperative programming