FUNCTIONAL PROGRAMMING Meaning and
Definition
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Functional programming is a programming paradigm that emphasizes the use of pure functions and immutable data. It is a style of programming where computation is treated as the evaluation of mathematical functions and avoids changing state and mutable data. In functional programming, functions are first-class citizens and are treated as values that can be stored in variables, passed as arguments, and returned as results.
The key characteristic of functional programming is the use of pure functions. Pure functions have no side effects and always produce the same output for the same input. This means that the behavior of a pure function is solely determined by its arguments, with no reliance on the state of the program or any external factors. Additionally, pure functions do not modify or access any mutable data within their body.
Functional programming promotes immutability, which means that once a value is assigned, it cannot be changed. Instead of modifying existing data, functional programming encourages the creation of new data structures by applying transformations to existing ones. This approach ensures that data remains unchanged, leading to easier reasoning about program behavior and better support for parallel and concurrent execution.
Functional programming languages, such as Haskell, Lisp, and Clojure, provide built-in features and syntax to facilitate functional programming. These languages often include higher-order functions, pattern matching, and recursion as core concepts.
Overall, functional programming promotes a declarative and concise coding style, with the focus on defining what to achieve rather than how to achieve it. By utilizing pure functions and immutable data, functional programming enhances code modularity, maintainability, and scalability.
Etymology of FUNCTIONAL PROGRAMMING
The term "functional programming" originated in the field of computer science and software engineering. The word "functional" in "functional programming" refers to the concept of mathematical functions, which are well-defined mappings from input values to output values. Functional programming focuses on creating software using a programming paradigm based on the use of pure functions without side effects.
The etymology of the word "functional" itself can be traced back to the Latin word "functionalis", which means "of or pertaining to performance". In mathematics, the term "function" has been used since the 17th century to describe a relation between a set of inputs and a set of possible outputs, emphasizing the purpose of the relation or mapping.
In the context of programming, the term "functional programming" was coined in the mid-20th century as a way to describe a programming approach inspired by mathematical functions.
