What programming approach focuses on reacting to events rather than regularly checking their status?

The programming approach that emphasizes responding to events rather than continuously polling for their status is known as Event-Based Programming. This paradigm centers around the idea of event-driven architecture, where the flow of the program is determined by events such as user actions (like mouse clicks or keyboard inputs), sensor outputs, or messages from other programs.

In Event-Based Programming, the system listens for specific events and triggers corresponding actions or callbacks when these events occur, effectively maintaining a flow that is responsive and efficient. This can lead to more straightforward code management, as developers can define how to respond to events independently from the main program logic.

This concept contrasts with other methods, such as Thread-Based Programming, which utilizes multiple threads for concurrent execution, and Interrupt-Driven Programming, which specifically refers to hardware interrupts responding to critical conditions rather than general events. Async Programming is related to non-blocking calls and concurrency but may still involve some level of polling if not implemented as an event-driven architecture. Overall, Event-Based Programming provides a clean and responsive method to handle dynamic conditions, making it ideal for applications requiring real-time processing or user interactivity.