Declarative Programming
In plain terms
Describing what you want, not the step-by-step how.
Going deeper
Declarative code states the desired outcome and lets the system figure out execution, contrasting with imperative step-by-step instructions. SQL and HTML are declarative.
Under the hood
You specify intent (the 'what'); the engine handles control flow, often enabling optimization you don't manage manually.
Examples
SQL queries, HTML/CSS, React JSX, Terraform, regular expressions.
Think of it like...
Like ordering 'a medium-rare steak' instead of instructing the chef on every knife stroke and flame setting.