A software development paradigm where the flow of the program is determined by occurrences such as user actions (mouse clicks, key presses), sensor outputs, or messages from other programs or threads. These occurrences, known as events, trigger specific blocks of code called event handlers or event listeners to execute. A simple example involves a graphical user interface (GUI) where clicking a button initiates a function to perform a calculation or display information. The system constantly listens for such actions and reacts accordingly.
This approach offers significant advantages, including increased responsiveness and enhanced modularity. Applications built with this model tend to be highly interactive and adaptable to varying user inputs or external signals. Historically, its emergence was closely tied to the rise of interactive systems and GUIs, providing a more natural and efficient way to manage user interaction than procedural or polling-based methods. This paradigm has become central to modern software development, particularly in areas such as web applications, mobile apps, and real-time systems.
