Control flow

Control flow is the order in which a program executes instructions. Sequencing, branches, loops, exceptions, and function calls determine how execution proceeds.

Conditional statement: A programming construct that selects which code runs according to a Boolean condition. A condition makes control flow choose among alternative instruction paths.
Instruction pointer: A processor register that identifies the address of the next instruction to execute. Its changing value tracks execution through machine instructions.
Compiler: A program that translates source code into another representation, often machine code. Compilers analyze and transform execution paths while preserving program behavior.
Declarative programming: A programming style that specifies desired results or relationships rather than an explicit sequence of operations. It deemphasizes programmer-written instruction order compared with explicit control flow.
Loop: A programming construct that repeatedly executes a block of code while a condition or iteration rule allows. Loops send execution back to earlier instructions for repeated work.
Boolean logic: A system of logic with true and false values and operations such as conjunction, disjunction, and negation. Branch conditions commonly evaluate Boolean expressions to choose a path.
Static single assignment form: An intermediate representation in which each variable is assigned exactly once and uses refer to a specific assignment. Its merge functions encode values arriving from different control-flow paths.
Dataflow programming: A programming model in which operations execute when their input data becomes available. Data availability, rather than a single prescribed sequence, drives execution.
Function call: An operation that transfers execution to a function and later resumes at the call site. A call temporarily redirects execution into a function before returning.
Basic block: A sequence of instructions with one entry point and no branches except at its end. Compilers group straight-line instruction sequences into units for flow analysis.

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