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Introduction to Programming Paradigms

Explore a range of programming paradigms, including imperative and declarative, procedural, functional, and object-oriented programming.

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2 Hours14 Videos45 Exercises

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Course Description

Ready for a paradigm shift to what you know about programming? In Introduction to Programming Paradigms, you will learn the basics of various programming paradigms, including imperative and declarative programming, procedural programming, functional programming, and object-oriented programming.

You will learn about real-world use cases for these paradigms and common coding patterns in each one, and even write basic programs in Python for each paradigm. By the time you're finished with the course, you'll be able to recognize different programming paradigms and know when to choose one over another. You'll even get a sneak peek into some more advanced topics like:
- Recursion in functional programming
- Class inheritance in procedural programming

Understand the Pros and Cons of Each Programming Paradigm

In chapters 2-4, you will explore procedural, functional, and object-oriented programming, respectively. Each chapter will cover the hallmarks of the specific programming paradigm, some common real-world applications, and enough of an overview to give you an understanding of when to use one paradigm over another.

Implement Simple Procedural, Functional, and Object-Oriented Programs

Each chapter will also include an exercise in building a program within the given paradigm. You will write subroutines and recursive functions, and define your own classes using Python.

By the time you finish, you’ll have a firm understanding of the basics of programming paradigms, their uses, common coding patterns, and when to apply each one in specific situations.

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1
Introduction to Programming Paradigms
Free
Get ready for a first look at programming paradigms! This Chapter covers what programming paradigms are, why they matter, and two broad categories of programming paradigms, namely Imperative and Declarative programming. You will also learn about the benefits of writing modular code and employing separation of responsibilities and how these relate to different paradigms.
Play Chapter Now
What are Programming Paradigms?
50 xp
Understanding programming paradigms and languages
50 xp
Programming languages vs. programming paradigms
100 xp
Imperative and Declarative Programming Paradigms
50 xp
Understanding categories of programming paradigms
100 xp
Comparing programming categories
100 xp
Why do we need Programming Paradigms?
50 xp
Benefits of modular code
100 xp
Benefits of thinking in multiple paradigms
100 xp
Identifying modular code in Python
50 xp
2
Procedural Programming
Dive into one of the most commonly used paradigms in programming: Procedural Programming. This Chapter covers what procedural programming is, what problems it can be used to solve, and how it achieves separation of responsibilities and modular code. You will learn how control flow statements like `if` statements, `for` loops, and function definition can all be used in procedural programming, and you'll get to practice these in Python.
Play Chapter Now
What is procedural programming?
50 xp
Separation of responsibilities
50 xp
Recognizing procedures
100 xp
When is procedural programming used?
50 xp
Pros and cons of procedural programming
100 xp
Use cases for procedural programming
100 xp
Control flow in procedural programming
50 xp
Understanding control flow
100 xp
Combine elements of control flow
100 xp
Construct a basic procedural program
100 xp
3
Functional Programming
Dive into functional programming in this Chapter. We will cover the basics of functional programming: when to use it, some advantages and disadvantages, as well as some applications. You will also learn about using recursion in functional programming, and you will even implement some basic functional programs of your own!
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What is functional programming?
50 xp
Functional programming and modularity
50 xp
Pure functions and side effects
100 xp
When is functional programming used?
50 xp
Pros and cons of functional programming
100 xp
Applications of functional programming
100 xp
Functional programming in action
50 xp
Write a pure function
100 xp
Correct an "impure" function
100 xp
Recursion in Functional Programming
50 xp
Understanding recursive functions
50 xp
Building a recursive function
100 xp
4
Object-Oriented Programming
Let's play with some classes and objects! This chapter will cover the Object-Oriented Programming paradigm, its common applications, pros and cons, and how to implement basic object-oriented programs in Python. We'll also touch on some more advanced topics in this paradigm including class inheritance and public vs. private attributes.
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What is Object-Oriented Programming
50 xp
Identifying object-oriented programs in Python
50 xp
Classes vs. objects
100 xp
Build a class
100 xp
Examples of Object-Oriented Programming
50 xp
Applications of object-oriented programming
50 xp
Pros and cons of object-oriented programming
100 xp
Public vs. private attributes
100 xp
Class Inheritance in Object-Oriented Programs
50 xp
Build a class with inheritance
100 xp
Changing programming paradigms
100 xp
Classify programming paradigms
100 xp
Congratulations!
50 xp

Collaborators

Arne Warnke

Jasmin Ludolf

Jess Ahmet

Prerequisites

Intermediate Python

Eleanor Thomas

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