Evolution of Programming Paradigms: A Narrative Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56861/inheriten.v1i1.12Keywords:
Programming Paradigms; Programming Language; EvolutionAbstract
This narrative review examines the historical evolution and conceptual shifts of programming paradigms, offering a comprehensive analysis of how they have shaped language design and software development practices over time. Beginning with low-level machine code and assembly languages, the paper traces the emergence of imperative and structured programming, which introduced disciplined control flow and modularity. It then explores the rise of object-oriented programming, emphasizing encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism to manage complexity in large systems. Functional programming is discussed for its mathematical foundations, immutability, and suitability for concurrent processing. The review also analyzes the impact of parallel and concurrent programming paradigms in the era of multi-core processors and distributed systems, highlighting the shift toward multi-paradigm languages that blend approaches to meet modern software demands. By clarifying definitional nuances and examining the philosophical underpinnings of paradigms themselves, this review provides a valuable resource for understanding the dynamic, interdisciplinary nature of programming and its critical role in addressing increasingly complex computational challenges
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