9 ms·

My background is Python, C#, and SQL, and it shows because those languages have affected the way I think about programming. I strongly disagree with DHH's poin

My background is Python, C#, and SQL, and it shows because those languages have affected the way I think about programming. I strongly disagree with DHH's points 2,3,4, and 6. But I think I'm going to learn the language anyway and use it for some projects because I think it's important to not get in a rut. Using different languages changes the way you think about code, and if you are not constantly updating the way you think about code, you are falling behind. Besides, I really like the way DHH writes. His language is persuasive even when I quite certainly disagree with him. Still going to learn a functional language first probably. But then Ruby/Rails.

hardwaresofton 11y ago
A tad bit off topic, but for your functional language I'd recommend Haskell. It's given my mind the most trouble out of any of the other functional languages I've tried (which is a good thing). I find it's syntax reasonable, and resources plentiful. Excellent lecture series on functional programming (language used is Haskell): https://channel9.msdn.com/Series/C9-Lectures-Erik-Meijer-Functional-Programming-Fundamentals/ https://channel9.msdn.com/Series/C9-Lectures-Erik-Meijer-Fun... When you get to trying to understand monads, DON'T look up monad tutorials, look for functor -> applicative functor -> monad tutorials, like this one: http://adit.io/posts/2013-04-17-functors,_applicatives,_and_monads_in_pictures.html http://adit.io/posts/2013-04-17-functors,_applicatives,_and_...
- ianamartin 11y ago
  Thank you for this. Much appreciated. I have a copy of learn you a Haskell for great good and have been slowly working my way through it in my occasional spare time. Also interested in F# these days now that Microsoft seems to be open-sourcing . . . pretty much everything.
  - hardwaresofton 11y ago
    Learn you a haskell for great good is also a fantastic resource (that I should have mentioned) -- I also worked through it, and found that it was a good not-boring introductory text. It strikes a good balance between being informational and playful, while offering the examples and exercises that you'd expect for building intuition. One of the rare books I read online (completely free from http://learnyouahaskell.com/ http://learnyouahaskell.com/), and liked so much that I bought a hard copy to carry/read.
  - suls 11y ago
    There's only one way to learn Haskell: you have to use it! Both links below show how friendly the Haskell community is for people willing to learn: https://github.com/NICTA/course/blob/master/README.markdown https://github.com/NICTA/course/blob/master/README.markdown https://github.com/bitemyapp/learnhaskell/blob/master/README.md https://github.com/bitemyapp/learnhaskell/blob/master/README... Good luck on your journey!

hardwaresofton 11y ago

A tad bit off topic, but for your functional language I'd recommend Haskell. It's given my mind the most trouble out of any of the other functional languages I've tried (which is a good thing). I find it's syntax reasonable, and resources plentiful. Excellent lecture series on functional programming (language used is Haskell): https://channel9.msdn.com/Series/C9-Lectures-Erik-Meijer-Functional-Programming-Fundamentals/ https://channel9.msdn.com/Series/C9-Lectures-Erik-Meijer-Fun... When you get to trying to understand monads, DON'T look up monad tutorials, look for functor -> applicative functor -> monad tutorials, like this one: http://adit.io/posts/2013-04-17-functors,_applicatives,_and_monads_in_pictures.html http://adit.io/posts/2013-04-17-functors,_applicatives,_and_...

ianamartin 11y ago
Thank you for this. Much appreciated. I have a copy of learn you a Haskell for great good and have been slowly working my way through it in my occasional spare time. Also interested in F# these days now that Microsoft seems to be open-sourcing . . . pretty much everything.
- hardwaresofton 11y ago
  Learn you a haskell for great good is also a fantastic resource (that I should have mentioned) -- I also worked through it, and found that it was a good not-boring introductory text. It strikes a good balance between being informational and playful, while offering the examples and exercises that you'd expect for building intuition. One of the rare books I read online (completely free from http://learnyouahaskell.com/ http://learnyouahaskell.com/), and liked so much that I bought a hard copy to carry/read.
- suls 11y ago
  There's only one way to learn Haskell: you have to use it! Both links below show how friendly the Haskell community is for people willing to learn: https://github.com/NICTA/course/blob/master/README.markdown https://github.com/NICTA/course/blob/master/README.markdown https://github.com/bitemyapp/learnhaskell/blob/master/README.md https://github.com/bitemyapp/learnhaskell/blob/master/README... Good luck on your journey!