Key differences between Procedural Language and Non-procedural Language

Procedural Language

Procedural Language, also known as an imperative language, is a type of programming language that relies on procedures or routines to perform tasks. This style of programming involves writing a sequence of instructions or statements that execute in a predetermined order. Procedural languages are characterized by their ability to break down tasks into subroutines or functions, which can be called multiple times throughout a program. This approach supports modular programming, enabling developers to reuse code, which improves maintainability and scalability. Examples of procedural languages include C, Pascal, and BASIC. These languages are particularly effective for tasks that require complex data processing and where performance is a key concern, making them suitable for systems programming and applications requiring detailed control over hardware operations.

Functions of Procedural Language:

• Modularization:

Procedural languages allow programmers to break complex programs into smaller, manageable, and reusable pieces called procedures or functions. This aids in reducing redundancy in code and enhances reusability.

• Ease of Maintenance:

By organizing code into discrete functions, procedural languages make it easier to track, update, and maintain software over time. Changes in one part of the program can often be made independently of others, which simplifies debugging and updating.

• Control Structure:

Procedural languages provide robust control structures such as loops (for, while), conditionals (if, else), and branching (switch, case). These structures enable developers to dictate the flow of execution and make decisions within the program.

• Variable Scope Management:

These languages manage scope through local and global variables. This helps in data encapsulation and avoiding namespace collisions, thereby making the code less prone to errors.

• Performance Optimization:

Procedural programming generally results in fast execution times as compilers can optimize time and memory allocation more efficiently due to the predictable structure and flow of the code.

• Procedural Abstraction:

Procedural languages facilitate abstraction at the procedure level, where the specifics of a code block’s internal workings are hidden, allowing the user to invoke procedures without knowing the details of their inner workings.

• Structured Programming:

These languages encourage a logical structure to the code, which can be easily followed, making it more understandable and less prone to bugs.

• Integration Capability:

Procedural languages are often good at interacting with low-level system components, making them suitable for writing system software like operating systems and embedded systems.

Example of Procedural Language:

The program calculates the factorial of a given number using a function:

#include <stdio.h>

// Function to calculate factorial

int factorial(int n) {

    if (n == 0) {  // Base case for recursion

        return 1;

    } else {

        return n * factorial(n – 1); // Recursive call

    }

}

int main() {

    int num;

    printf(“Enter a positive integer: “);

    scanf(“%d”, &num);

   

    // Checking if the user inputs a non-negative number

    if (num < 0) {

        printf(“Factorial of a negative number doesn’t exist.\n”);

    } else {

        printf(“Factorial of %d = %d\n”, num, factorial(num));

    }

   

    return 0;

}

Explanation:

• #include <stdio.h>:

This line includes the Standard Input Output library for using printf and scanf.

• factorial(int n):

This function calculates the factorial of a number n recursively. If n equals 0, it returns 1 (base case of the recursion); otherwise, it returns n multiplied by the factorial of n-1.

• main():

The main function, which is the entry point for any C program. It prompts the user to enter a positive integer, then uses the factorial() function to compute and display the factorial of the number.

Non–procedural Language

Non-procedural languages, also known as declarative languages, are programming paradigms where the focus is on what needs to be done, rather than how to do it. This contrasts with procedural languages where programmers write step-by-step instructions to achieve a result. In non-procedural languages, the logic of computation is expressed without describing its control flow. Common examples include SQL for database queries, HTML for webpage structure, and functional languages like Haskell. These languages often abstract the underlying implementation details, allowing programmers to write expressions or declarations at a higher level of abstraction. Non-procedural languages are used extensively in settings that require a direct definition of behavior, like database interactions, configuration management, and user interface design.

Functions of Non-procedural Language:

• Specification of What over How:

Non-procedural languages allow programmers to specify what the outcome should be rather than detailing the steps to achieve that outcome. This abstraction from how things are done makes code easier to understand and maintain.

• Efficiency in Code Writing:

Because these languages abstract the implementation details, they often require less code to achieve the same goal compared to procedural languages. This leads to quicker development times and fewer opportunities for errors in describing complex processes.

• Ease of Parallelization:

Since non-procedural languages do not specify the sequence of operations, they are often more amenable to parallel execution. Systems can optimize execution independently of the sequence of commands, which is advantageous for performance scaling on multi-core or distributed systems.

• Improved Maintainability and Modifiability:

Declarative code tends to be more succinct and easier to modify. Changes in the system requirements often require less extensive modifications to the code, as individual specifications can be adjusted without affecting the overall program flow.

• Domain-Specific Optimizations:

Non-procedural languages often allow domain-specific optimizations that procedural languages do not. For example, SQL queries can be optimized by a database management system to improve query performance without any additional effort from the programmer.

• Reduction of Side Effects:

Declarative languages typically reduce or eliminate side effects found in procedural programming, leading to more predictable and reliable code. This characteristic is especially useful in functional programming where functions are pure and do not cause changes in system state.

Example of Non-procedural Language:

An example of a non-procedural language is SQL (Structured Query Language), which is widely used for managing and manipulating relational databases. SQL allows users to declare what data they want to retrieve, update, or manipulate without specifying the exact steps to achieve these outcomes. Here’s a simple example:

SQL Query Example

Suppose you have a database table named Customers with columns CustomerID, Name, and Age. If you want to find all customers who are over 30 years old, you would write a SQL query like this:

SELECT Name, Age FROM Customers WHERE Age > 30;

In this query:

• SELECT specifies the columns to retrieve.
• FROM identifies the table containing the data.
• WHERE determines the condition for filtering the data.

Key differences between Procedural Language and Non-procedural Language

Key Similarities between Procedural Language and Non-procedural Language

• Purpose:

Both types of languages are designed to solve problems through computation, albeit using different approaches. They aim to enable the development of executable software solutions that fulfill user requirements.

• Use in Software Development:

Both are used in software development to create various applications, though the specific applications may differ in complexity and purpose.

• Execution by Computers:

Whether the language is procedural or non-procedural, the code written in these languages is ultimately executed by a computer. They both need to be converted into machine-readable form, typically through compilation or interpretation.

• Logical Structuring:

Both types of languages involve some form of logical structuring of code, whether it is outlining the steps of computation or describing the data relationships and transformations. The underlying necessity to organize logic and data persists across both.

• Role in Education:

Both procedural and non-procedural languages are foundational in educational contexts, helping students understand different paradigms of programming and computational thinking.

• Integration in Larger Systems:

In complex software systems, both procedural and non-procedural languages can be found working side by side, each handling tasks that suit their strengths. For example, a system could use procedural code for performance-critical tasks and non-procedural code for managing databases.