Your Awesome Guide to Declarative vs. Imperative Programming

With remarkable metaphors and scary-ass examples.

When you start learning to program, you are occupied learning the fundamentals. Keywords, variables, control statements, loops are important but not as much as learning how to convert real-life problems into code solutions.

This is a process every developer has to go through. My personal process started back in 2015 with C#.

Besides the mentioned obstacles, everyone must understand two programming paradigms: Imperative Programming and Declarative programming. Otherwise, you are just turning problems into code problems.

It might happen to you that you used both without knowing them exactly. Don’t feel ashamed by it. Give me 5 minutes, and you will feel enlighten and ready to go on.

Your best friend has invited you to come over for some nice and delicious burgers. Now you ask him to prepare one for you.

In Declarative Programming, it is completely up to him. Since he is your best friend, he makes your burger with two slices of cheddar cheese: one below and one above the patty. Giving you extra sauce and fresh-cut onions, and also a slice of that big juicy tomato you’ve seen when you entered the kitchen. He even toasts the buns for you, just as much as you like it.

In Imperative Programming, he is watching a YouTube tutorial: “How to Make a Nice & Delicious Burger.” Following the exact step-by-step directions of the video to get the desired result. The order for creating and the amount of love you’ll receive are given through the imperative instructions from the YouTube tutorial.

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