Lecture Notes: Advanced Topics in Programming Languages

Introduction to Programming Paradigms

• Definition: Programming paradigms are a way to classify programming languages based on their features.
• Key Paradigms:
  • Imperative
  • Declarative
  • Functional
  • Object-Oriented

Imperative Programming

• Main Idea: Directly changes the program's state through statements.
• Languages: C, C++, Java
• Characteristics:
  • Detailed step-by-step instructions
  • Use of loops, conditionals

Declarative Programming

• Main Idea: Expresses the logic without describing its control flow.
• Languages: SQL, HTML
• Characteristics:
  • Focus on what to solve, not how to solve it
  • Higher-level programming

Functional Programming

• Main Idea: Treats computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions.
• Languages: Haskell, Lisp
• Characteristics:
  • Emphasizes immutability
  • First-class functions
  • Pure functions without side effects

Object-Oriented Programming

• Main Idea: Organizes software design around data, or objects.
• Languages: Python, Java
• Characteristics:
  • Encapsulation, Inheritance, Polymorphism
  • Reusability and modularity

Key Takeaways

• Understanding different paradigms helps in choosing the right tool for the job.
• Each paradigm has its strengths and weaknesses.
• Modern programming languages often support multiple paradigms.