deklaratywny

Deklaratywny is an adjective in Polish meaning related to deklaracja or declaration. In a broad sense it describes approaches that specify what should be true or achieved, rather than detailing the steps required to obtain it. In information technology the term is most often used to refer to declarative programming, which focuses on the desired result and leaves the control flow and operations to the language or runtime.

In linguistics and communication, the word can be used to describe statements or utterances that convey facts or intentions. However, in standard grammar Polish typically distinguishes declarative (oznajmujące) sentences from interrogative or imperative forms; the adjective deklaratywny is more common in discussions about style or type rather than as a formal grammatical mood.

In computer science, deklaratywność denotes a programming paradigm where programs describe the properties of the desired outcome instead of giving a sequence of steps. Examples of declarative technologies include SQL for database queries, HTML and XML-based technologies for document and data description, XSLT for transformations, and logic or functional programming languages such as Prolog and Haskell. These approaches emphasize what should be computed, with the underlying system determining how to realize it.

Advantages of declarative approaches include higher level of abstraction, easier reasoning about code, and often better opportunities for optimization and parallel execution. Limitations can include reduced control over performance, learning curve for unfamiliar paradigms, and sometimes difficulty in expressing certain algorithms succinctly.

Etymology: from Latin declarare, through Polish deklarować, with the suffix -owy forming an adjective. Related concepts include declarative knowledge and declarative data representations.