   Use of the Word Paradigm
  Can the word, "paradigm," be used to denote a feature of a programming language? Can I say that if statements are a programming paradigm? Can I say selection is a programming paradigm?What does paradigm shift mean?   
  Did you think about maybe looking up the meaning?.The answers should be self-evident from that.   ;  Yes, but I still don't know if it's appropriate in the context I mentioned.Here's my specific confusion:Are if statements, in general, a paradigm, or is a common use of if statements a paradigm?   ;  Not really I think. A paradigm is a philosophy or a specific programming methodology, often supported by the language you write in. An if statement is too general since it's just a conditional jump. See the wikipedia entry on 'programming paradigm'.Paradigm shift in programming would be if you had always programmed in assembler and then switched to a functional language like lisp.   ;  Try looking up the meaning in relation to programming.   ;  Got it, thanks.   