Imperative vs Functional vs Object-oriented Programming

In software development, different programming paradigms offer unique ways to structure code. Three main paradigms are Imperative, Functional, and Object-oriented programming, each with distinct approaches to problem-solving.

Imperative Programming

• Works by changing program state through a sequence of commands.

• Uses control structures like loops and conditional statements for execution flow.

• Emphasizes mutable data and explicit steps for task completion.

• Examples: C, Python, and most procedural languages.

Functional Programming

• Relies on pure functions, emphasizing computation without side effects.

• Promotes immutability and the avoidance of mutable state.

• Supports higher-order functions, recursion, and declarative programming.

• Examples: Haskell, Lisp, Scala, and functional features in languages like JavaScript.

Object-oriented Programming

• Focuses on modeling real-world entities as objects, containing data and methods.

• Encourages concepts such as inheritance, encapsulation, and polymorphism.

• Utilizes classes, objects, and interfaces to structure code.

• Examples: Java, C++, Python, and Ruby.