Any functional programmers here?

[madknight3]

Edit: To avoid more confusion, this isn't my first programming language. I'm new to functional programming but not programming in general. Please keep the replies on topic.

 

 

Does anyone here do any functional programming? If so, how much experience do you have with it and what language(s) do you use? Do you use it very often in your day to day programming? How did you start with functional programming? Was it the focus of your first language or did you transition to it after learning another paradigm? How difficult did you find the learning process? And finally, do you prefer it to other paradigms?

 

I'm curious what your experiences are with it because it's rarely, if ever, mentioned around here and I'm just starting to dive into it myself.

[Neil]

Only really when absolutely necessary. I've done a lot of functional-type stuff in Python while working with NoSQL drivers like for RethinkDB. It's pretty common to use functional concepts with NoSQL, especially for stuff like MapReduce lambda functions, etc.

 

Played around in Scala and the likes for various things in college, but never got into it.

[mantylt]

It doesn't matter. As a first language choose whatever feels good for you. First language is all about concepts: how stuff should be written, tested, debugged. Your first language should not teach you how to write programs, it should teach your how to learn and think. Master basics, doesn't matter which language, basics are same everywhere. Proper basics will give you ability to switch to any language in a matter of weeks, and it doesn't matter if that's pascal (my first language) or c# (my current language). Start with basics, master them, after that go with whatever feels good, it really will not matter.

[madknight3]

Only really when absolutely necessary. I've done a lot of functional-type stuff in Python while working with NoSQL drivers like for RethinkDB. It's pretty common to use functional concepts with NoSQL, especially for stuff like MapReduce lambda functions, etc.

 

Played around in Scala and the likes for various things in college, but never got into it.

 

Interesting. I haven't used NoSQL myself. It's another thing on my todo list.

 

I was considering learning Scala first but opted for Haskell instead.

[madknight3]

-snip-

 

Sorry, wrong kind of topic.

[echtogammut]

Academically, my first exposure to functional programming was Lisp and I really hated that language or maybe it was the Professor, looking back I can't really recall. Functional programming has its uses, but as Mantylt says, focus on understanding one language and switching to other languages becomes much easier.

[MrSuperb]

-snip-

 

clearly has no idead about functional programming

[madknight3]

Academically, my first exposure to functional programming was Lisp and I really hated that language or maybe it was the Professor, looking back I can't really recall. Functional programming has its uses, but as Mantylt says, focus on understanding one language and switching to other languages becomes much easier.

 

I made an edit to my original post to hopefully clear up the confusion. Have you done any functional programming since, perhaps with a language you've enjoyed? 

[echtogammut]

Yes, currently I have been using F#, although I have used functional type programming in C#, Python and Java. It really comes down to what you are trying to accomplish. In my long sordid work history, I also used Erlang... odd I almost forgot about that. 

[Guest]

I used Racket in a formal logic and functional programming class I took recently and I write stuff in Javascript from time to time. Of course, certain paradigms of functional programming are beneficial to apply to imperative programming, such as avoiding side effects.