What is the difference between procedural programming and functional programming? [closed]
Solution 1:
A functional language (ideally) allows you to write a mathematical function, i.e. a function that takes n arguments and returns a value. If the program is executed, this function is logically evaluated as needed.1
A procedural language, on the other hand, performs a series of sequential steps. (There's a way of transforming sequential logic into functional logic called continuation passing style.)
As a consequence, a purely functional program always yields the same value for an input, and the order of evaluation is not well-defined; which means that uncertain values like user input or random values are hard to model in purely functional languages.
1 As everything else in this answer, that’s a generalisation. This property, evaluating a computation when its result is needed rather than sequentially where it’s called, is known as “laziness”. Not all functional languages are actually universally lazy, nor is laziness restricted to functional programming. Rather, the description given here provides a “mental framework” to think about different programming styles that are not distinct and opposite categories but rather fluid ideas.
Solution 2:
Basically the two styles, are like Yin and Yang. One is organized, while the other chaotic. There are situations when Functional programming is the obvious choice, and other situations were Procedural programming is the better choice. This is why there are at least two languages that have recently come out with a new version, that embraces both programming styles. ( Perl 6 and D 2 )
#Procedural:#
- The output of a routine does not always have a direct correlation with the input.
- Everything is done in a specific order.
- Execution of a routine may have side effects.
- Tends to emphasize implementing solutions in a linear fashion.
##Perl 6 
##
sub factorial ( UInt:D $n is copy ) returns UInt {
# modify "outside" state
state $call-count++;
# in this case it is rather pointless as
# it can't even be accessed from outside
my $result = 1;
loop ( ; $n > 0 ; $n-- ){
$result *= $n;
}
return $result;
}
##D 2##
int factorial( int n ){
int result = 1;
for( ; n > 0 ; n-- ){
result *= n;
}
return result;
}
#Functional:#
- Often recursive.
- Always returns the same output for a given input.
- Order of evaluation is usually undefined.
- Must be stateless. i.e. No operation can have side effects.
- Good fit for parallel execution
- Tends to emphasize a divide and conquer approach.
- May have the feature of Lazy Evaluation.
##Haskell## ( copied from Wikipedia );
fac :: Integer -> Integer
fac 0 = 1
fac n | n > 0 = n * fac (n-1)
or in one line:
fac n = if n > 0 then n * fac (n-1) else 1
##Perl 6 
##
proto sub factorial ( UInt:D $n ) returns UInt {*}
multi sub factorial ( 0 ) { 1 }
multi sub factorial ( $n ) { $n * samewith $n-1 } # { $n * factorial $n-1 }
##D 2##
pure int factorial( invariant int n ){
if( n <= 1 ){
return 1;
}else{
return n * factorial( n-1 );
}
}
#Side note:#
Factorial is actually a common example to show how easy it is to create new operators in Perl 6 the same way you would create a subroutine. This feature is so ingrained into Perl 6 that most operators in the Rakudo implementation are defined this way. It also allows you to add your own multi candidates to existing operators.
sub postfix:< ! > ( UInt:D $n --> UInt )
is tighter(&infix:<*>)
{ [*] 2 .. $n }
say 5!; # 120
This example also shows range creation (2..$n) and the list reduction meta-operator ([ OPERATOR ] LIST) combined with the numeric infix multiplication operator. (*)
It also shows that you can put --> UInt in the signature instead of returns UInt after it.
( You can get away with starting the range with 2 as the multiply "operator" will return 1 when called without any arguments )
Solution 3:
I've never seen this definition given elsewhere, but I think this sums up the differences given here fairly well:
Functional programming focuses on expressions
Procedural programming focuses on statements
Expressions have values. A functional program is an expression who's value is a sequence of instructions for the computer to carry out.
Statements don't have values and instead modify the state of some conceptual machine.
In a purely functional language there would be no statements, in the sense that there's no way to manipulate state (they might still have a syntactic construct named "statement", but unless it manipulates state I wouldn't call it a statement in this sense). In a purely procedural language there would be no expressions, everything would be an instruction which manipulates the state of the machine.
Haskell would be an example of a purely functional language because there is no way to manipulate state. Machine code would be an example of a purely procedural language because everything in a program is a statement which manipulates the state of the registers and memory of the machine.
The confusing part is that the vast majority of programming languages contain both expressions and statements, allowing you to mix paradigms. Languages can be classified as more functional or more procedural based on how much they encourage the use of statements vs expressions.
For example, C would be more functional than COBOL because a function call is an expression, whereas calling a sub program in COBOL is a statement (that manipulates the state of shared variables and doesn't return a value). Python would be more functional than C because it allows you to express conditional logic as an expression using short circuit evaluation (test && path1 || path2 as opposed to if statements). Scheme would be more functional than Python because everything in scheme is an expression.
You can still write in a functional style in a language which encourages the procedural paradigm and vice versa. It's just harder and/or more awkward to write in a paradigm which isn't encouraged by the language.
Solution 4:
In computer science, functional programming is a programming paradigm that treats computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions and avoids state and mutable data. It emphasizes the application of functions, in contrast with the procedural programming style that emphasizes changes in state.
Solution 5:
Funtional Programming
num = 1
def function_to_add_one(num):
num += 1
return num
function_to_add_one(num)
function_to_add_one(num)
function_to_add_one(num)
function_to_add_one(num)
function_to_add_one(num)
#Final Output: 2
Procedural Programming
num = 1
def procedure_to_add_one():
global num
num += 1
return num
procedure_to_add_one()
procedure_to_add_one()
procedure_to_add_one()
procedure_to_add_one()
procedure_to_add_one()
#Final Output: 6
function_to_add_one is a function
procedure_to_add_one is a procedure
Even if you run the function five times, every time it will return 2
If you run the procedure five times, at the end of fifth run it will give you 6.
DISCLAIMER: Obviously this is a hyper-simplified view of reality. This answer just gives a taste of "functions" as opposed to "procedures". Nothing more. Once you have tasted this superficial yet deeply penetrative intuition, start exploring the two paradigms, and you will start to see the difference quite clearly.
Helps my students, hope it helps you too.