In computer science, imperative programming is a programming paradigm that describes computation in terms of statements that change a program state. In much the same way as the imperative mood in natural languages expresses commands to take action, imperative programs define sequences of commands for the computer to perform.
The term is used in opposition to declarative programming, which expresses what needs to be done, without prescribing how to do it in terms of sequences of actions to be taken. Functional and logical programming are examples of a more declarative approach.
