The need for web developers has become far more critical, as many companies are moving, or intending to move, their services online. Many people seeking to enter this career are baffled by the sheer number of programming languages and frameworks out there today. Understandably so, it can definitely be overwhelming.

With this article I hope to tackle and clear some questions you may have about declarative programming, how it compares to imperative programming, and the transitioning from Javascript to React, which in turn, I believe can serve as a good jumping-off point into the world of coding.

What is Declarative Programming?

Let’s start off by defining “declarative programming”. According to Wikipedia, it is, at its core:

“— a style of building the structure and elements of computer programs — that expresses the logic of a computation without describing its control flow.”

That makes sense, right? Totally! Or maybe you’re like me, and found that explanation to be super vague. For now, let’s leave it at that! A few more things to clarify first.

I will be using Javascript(JS) in my examples, because that’s my preference, as I have grown to favor it over other languages.

Source: Link

This is something you will learn soon enough about web devs; they all have their preferred language. In time, you will also find yourself leaning towards your own inclinations for a preferred language.

I have also highlighted(in bold letters) some key words throughout this article, which I feel will prove invaluable in your continued learning of subjects related to programming. I’d suggest writing them down, and maybe looking them up at a later time. They are all terminology that you will continue to see in your ventures to becoming a web developer.

Declarative vs Imperative Programming

To reiterate what I quoted before, declarative programming is “conveying the logic of a process, without necessarily defining its course for execution”.

I hear you, still confusing, and still not quite there in terms of understanding. Okay, stay with me, I can do better!

#declarative-programming #javascript #programming #react #functional-programming