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<language> Any programming language that specifies explicit manipulation of the state of the computer system, not to be confused with a procedural language, which specifies an explicit sequence of steps to perform.
An example of an imperative (but non-procedural) language is a data manipulation language for a relational database management system. This specifies changes to the database but does not necessarily require anyone to specify a sequence of steps.
Both contrast with declarative languages, which specify neither explicit state manipulation nor a sequence of steps.
(2007-10-02)
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