Explain the main principles of procedural programming and how it differs from other paradigms.

Procedural programming is a paradigm based on dividing a program into procedures or functions that perform specific actions sequentially. Main principles:

• Sequential execution: code runs from top to bottom, step by step.
• Division into functions: program logic is split into small subroutines (procedures) that can be called repeatedly.
• Use of variables and states: data is stored in variables that can change.
• Minimal or no use of objects: focus on actions rather than data.

Differences from other paradigms:

• Unlike object-oriented programming (OOP), which focuses on objects and their interactions, procedural programming concentrates on functions and call sequences.
• In functional programming, the emphasis is on pure functions without side effects and immutable data, whereas in procedural programming, variables can change.

Example in Python:

# Procedural style
def greet(name):
    print(f"Hello, {name}!")

user_name = "Alexey"
greet(user_name)