Show understanding of the characteristics of a number of programming paradigms: Declarative

20.1 Programming Paradigms – Declarative

1. Definition (AO1)

• A declarative paradigm describes what the program must achieve, leaving the how to the language implementation (compiler, interpreter or runtime).
• The programmer supplies a high‑level specification – e.g. a query, a set of facts/rules, or a pure function – and the system determines the execution steps, optimisation and ordering.
• Control flow, state handling and optimisation are implicit rather than explicit.

2. Key Characteristics

3. Evaluation Strategies Explained (AO1)

• Lazy (deferred) evaluation – an expression is evaluated only when its value is required.

  -- Haskell
  evens      = filter even [1..]   -- infinite list, not evaluated yet
  firstFive  = take 5 evens        -- only the first five elements are computed

• Eager (strict) evaluation – expressions are evaluated as soon as they are bound to a name. Most imperative languages behave this way.
• Back‑tracking – the interpreter explores alternatives, abandons a dead‑end and returns to the previous choice point.

  % Prolog
  grandparent(X,Z) :- parent(X,Y), parent(Y,Z).

4. Typical Declarative Languages

5. Domains of Use (AO1)

• Relational database queries (SQL)
• Logical inference and expert systems (Prolog, rule‑based AI)
• Constraint satisfaction & optimisation (MiniZinc, CLP)
• Web page structure & styling (HTML, CSS)
• Concurrent, fault‑tolerant applications (Erlang)
• Mathematical modelling and symbolic computation (functional languages)

6. Advantages (AO2) and Limitations (AO3)

7. Exam‑Relevant Skills (Cambridge 9618 – AO1‑AO3)

1. Write a simple declarative statement (AO1)

   • SQL: SELECT name FROM Students WHERE grade > 80;
   • Prolog: ancestor(X,Y) :- parent(X,Z), ancestor(Z,Y).
   • Haskell: sumSquares xs = sum (map (^2) xs)

2. Identify the paradigm from a code fragment (AO1)

   • Fragment containing SELECT … FROM … WHERE … → Declarative (SQL).
   • Fragment with facts, rules and the operator :- → Declarative (Logic programming).
   • Fragment defining only pure functions, using higher‑order functions → Declarative (Functional).

3. Justify the choice of a declarative approach for a given problem (AO2)

   • Explain why a database query is best expressed in SQL (set‑based, optimiser handles indexing).
   • Explain why a scheduling problem fits MiniZinc (constraints are natural, solver finds a feasible schedule).

4. Compare declarative and imperative solutions (AO2‑AO3)

   • State the benefits (conciseness, automatic optimisation) and drawbacks (loss of fine‑grained control) for the specific scenario.
   • Discuss how the choice may affect correctness, performance and ease of debugging.

8. Sample Exam‑Style Code Fragments & Marking Points

8.1 SQL – “Students scoring > 80 in Mathematics”

SELECT name
FROM   Students
WHERE  subject = 'Mathematics' AND score > 80;

Marking guide (AO1‑AO2): identify the language (SQL), describe what the query does, and note that the DBMS decides the access path (indexes, joins).

8.2 Prolog – Grandparent Relationship

grandparent(X,Z) :- parent(X,Y), parent(Y,Z).

Marking guide: recognise the rule syntax, explain back‑tracking through parent facts, and state that the interpreter searches for bindings that satisfy both sub‑goals.

8.3 Haskell – Lazy Generation of Even Numbers

evens      = filter even [1..]   -- infinite list, not evaluated yet
firstFive  = take 5 evens        -- only the first five elements are forced

Marking guide: identify lazy evaluation, describe how only the needed part of the infinite list is computed.

8.4 MiniZinc – Simple Scheduling Constraint

int: n = 3;                       % three tasks
array[1..n] of var 1..n: start;   % start time of each task
constraint forall(i in 1..n-1) (start[i] < start[i+1]); % tasks must be ordered
solve satisfy;

Marking guide: recognise the constraint model, explain that the solver searches for values of start satisfying the ordering constraint.

9. Comparison with Imperative Programming (AO2)

10. Quick Revision Checklist (AO1‑AO3)

• Can you define “declarative programming” and list its core characteristics?
• Do you know the evaluation strategies (lazy, eager, back‑tracking) and can you give a short example?
• Can you name at least three declarative languages and the domains they are used for?
• Are you able to write a simple SQL query, a Prolog rule, and a pure functional expression?
• Can you explain why a problem is better solved declaratively than imperatively?
• Do you understand the main advantages and the situations where declarative approaches are unsuitable?

11. Summary (AO1‑AO2)

The declarative paradigm shifts the programmer’s role from giving explicit step‑by‑step instructions to specifying the desired outcome. By abstracting control flow, state management and optimisation, declarative languages provide concise, readable solutions for domains such as database querying, logical inference, constraint solving and functional computation. Mastery of the characteristics, typical languages, evaluation strategies, advantages, limitations and exam‑style tasks enables students to select the most appropriate paradigm for a given problem and to answer Cambridge AS & A Level Computer Science (9618) questions with confidence.