Imperative programming is a software development paradigm where functions are implicitly coded in every step required to solve a problem. In imperative programming, every operation is coded and the code itself specifies how the problem is to be solved, which means that pre-coded models are not called on.

Imperative programming requires an understanding of the functions necessary to solve a problem, rather than a reliance on models that are able to solve it. The focus of imperative programming is how the problem should be solved, which requires a detailed step-by-step guide. Because the written code performs the functions instead of models, the programmer must code each step. Procedural and object-oriented programming (OOP) languages fall under imperative programming, such as C, C++, C#, and Java.

Imperative vs. declarative programming

Imperative programming contrasts with declarative programming, in which how a problem is solved is not specifically defined, but instead focuses on what needs to be solved. Declarative programming provides a constant to check to ensure the problem is solved correctly, but does not provide instructions on how to solve the problem