4 ms·

WhatsApp seems to be a great example of designing your system with the best tools available. To go from nothing to pretty much being the de-facto modern replace

WhatsApp seems to be a great example of designing your system with the best tools available. To go from nothing to pretty much being the de-facto modern replacement for SMS in a couple of years is an amazing achievement. I really need to sit down and spend some time properly learning a functional language. I can hack my way through Haskell code but I do it in a very non-Haskell way. I really need to change that. My primary language is C++ and I am open to any recommendations for what direction to go in :)

fsloth 11y ago
For Erlang, there is the book by Joe Armstrong: https://pragprog.com/book/jaerlang2/programming-erlang https://pragprog.com/book/jaerlang2/programming-erlang The problem with learning functional languages is finding pragmatic learning materials. I would claim F# is currently the most approachable functional language (just my opinion but I have at least toyed with the other mainstream offerings). My background is also in C++. The F# materials listed helped me personally to develop as a programmer and have made approaching other languages like Erlang easier. Sestoft's programming language concepts: https://www.itu.dk/~sestoft/plc/ https://www.itu.dk/~sestoft/plc/ Expert F# 3.0 contains lots of short snippets and examples: http://www.apress.com/9781430246503 http://www.apress.com/9781430246503 Flying frog consultancys materials are steep in price but I found them worth my dime (Visual F# 2010 for Technical Computing and the materials in The F# Journal) http://www.ffconsultancy.com/products/index.html http://www.ffconsultancy.com/products/index.html
- maze-le 11y ago
  > The problem with learning functional languages is finding pragmatic learning materials. This is kind of true. But there is a nice community around erlang. I always found good, valueable input at erlangcentral.org and stackoverflow.
- woah 11y ago
  Also try learnyousomeerlang.com
- vvanders 11y ago
  I'll also throw Elixir out there for being a much more approachable way into functional languages(and it runs on the Erlang VM to boot).
macintux 11y ago
I have a list of free Erlang resources: https://gist.github.com/macintux/6349828 https://gist.github.com/macintux/6349828
anonyfox 11y ago
Try Elixir, it runs on the ErlangVM and has a much nicer syntax, plus metaprogramming through Lisp-style macros, while preserving every feature that makes erlang great. https://pragprog.com/book/elixir/programming-elixir https://pragprog.com/book/elixir/programming-elixir <-- dave thomas has a great writing style.
- eggy 11y ago
  Or LFE - Lisp Flavored Erlang - if you prefer Lisp to Rubyesque syntax. Robert Virding, one of the gang along with Joe Armstrong that created Erlang, created LFE.
pakled_engineer 11y ago
Any book on Lambda calculus http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Functional-Programming-Calculus-Mathematics/dp/0486478831 http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Functional-Programming-Ca... https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-functional-programming-delftx-fp101x-0# https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-functional-programmi...! is a MOOC in Haskell

fsloth 11y ago

For Erlang, there is the book by Joe Armstrong: https://pragprog.com/book/jaerlang2/programming-erlang https://pragprog.com/book/jaerlang2/programming-erlang The problem with learning functional languages is finding pragmatic learning materials. I would claim F# is currently the most approachable functional language (just my opinion but I have at least toyed with the other mainstream offerings). My background is also in C++. The F# materials listed helped me personally to develop as a programmer and have made approaching other languages like Erlang easier. Sestoft's programming language concepts: https://www.itu.dk/~sestoft/plc/ https://www.itu.dk/~sestoft/plc/ Expert F# 3.0 contains lots of short snippets and examples: http://www.apress.com/9781430246503 http://www.apress.com/9781430246503 Flying frog consultancys materials are steep in price but I found them worth my dime (Visual F# 2010 for Technical Computing and the materials in The F# Journal) http://www.ffconsultancy.com/products/index.html http://www.ffconsultancy.com/products/index.html

maze-le 11y ago
> The problem with learning functional languages is finding pragmatic learning materials. This is kind of true. But there is a nice community around erlang. I always found good, valueable input at erlangcentral.org and stackoverflow.
woah 11y ago
Also try learnyousomeerlang.com
vvanders 11y ago
I'll also throw Elixir out there for being a much more approachable way into functional languages(and it runs on the Erlang VM to boot).

macintux 11y ago

I have a list of free Erlang resources: https://gist.github.com/macintux/6349828 https://gist.github.com/macintux/6349828

anonyfox 11y ago

Try Elixir, it runs on the ErlangVM and has a much nicer syntax, plus metaprogramming through Lisp-style macros, while preserving every feature that makes erlang great. https://pragprog.com/book/elixir/programming-elixir https://pragprog.com/book/elixir/programming-elixir <-- dave thomas has a great writing style.

eggy 11y ago
Or LFE - Lisp Flavored Erlang - if you prefer Lisp to Rubyesque syntax. Robert Virding, one of the gang along with Joe Armstrong that created Erlang, created LFE.

pakled_engineer 11y ago

Any book on Lambda calculus http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Functional-Programming-Calculus-Mathematics/dp/0486478831 http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Functional-Programming-Ca... https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-functional-programming-delftx-fp101x-0# https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-functional-programmi...! is a MOOC in Haskell