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Procedural may refer to:
- Procedural generation, a term used in computer graphics applications
- Procedural knowledge, the knowledge exercised in the performance of some task
- Procedural law, a legal concept
- Procedural memory, a cognitive science concept
- Procedural programming, a computer programming concept
- Procedural (genre), a type of literature, film, or television program involving a sequence of technical detail. For example:
- Police procedural, a subgenre of detective fiction
- Procedural drama, a genre of television programming
The police procedural, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on a private investigator or amateur detective. Unlike traditional mysteries, which conceal the criminal's identity until the police solve the crime in the narrative climax, police procedurals often reveal the perpetrator's identity to the audience early in the narrative, making it an inverted detective story or "howcatchem". Police procedurals attempt to accurately depict such police-related topics as forensic science, autopsies, gathering evidence, search warrants, interrogation and adherence to legal restrictions and procedure.
A procedural drama is a genre of television programming which focuses on how crimes are solved or some other aspect of a law enforcement agency, legislative body, or court of law. Some dramas include a lab or conference room with high-tech or state-of-the-art equipment where the main characters meet to work out the problem. Shows usually have an episodic format that does not require the viewer to have seen previous episodes. Episodes typically have a self-contained, also referred to as stand-alone, plot that is introduced and resolved within the same episode.
In computing, procedural generation is a method of creating data algorithmically as opposed to manually, typically though a combination of human-generated assets and algorithms coupled with computer-generated randomness and processing power. In computer graphics, it is commonly used to create textures and 3D models. In video games, it is used to automatically create large amounts of content in a game. Advantages of procedural generation include smaller file sizes, larger amounts of content, and randomness for less predictable gameplay.
Procedural knowledge, also known as imperative knowledge, is the knowledge exercised in the performance of some task. See below for the specific meaning of this term in cognitive psychology and intellectual property law.
Procedural law, adjective law, in some jurisdictions referred to as remedial law, or rules of court comprises the rules by which a court hears and determines what happens in civil, lawsuit, criminal or administrative proceedings. The rules are designed to ensure a fair and consistent application of due process or fundamental justice to all cases that come before a court.
