JCrete2013:Monads-FP-Scala
| Do we need Monads? Discussion about FP with Scala + Functional Programming and Testing with Scala | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Convenor: Jürgen Strobel + one more | |||
Participants:
| |||
Summary:
First the discussion centered around monads and other highly theoretical concepts. Sadly we missed to explain monads to those in the audience not knowing about it. The audience is uncertain if understanding of this topic is required, or even helpful, to make good use of Scala, and if it should be the focus when introducing Scala to new programmers. I (Jürgen Strobel) tried to steer the discussion to a more mundane topic: How purely immutable data structures built with case classes can build large structures with complex pure functions working on them, yet are very easy to test due to concise factories, pattern matching, and simple data driven test setups. This concept, together with the standard collection library and e.g. Option/Either will drive the interest to higher functional concepts naturally, and I think most developers will understand and make good use of it whether they know about monad theory or not. | |||
| Recommendations:
Recommendations go here
| |||
Useful presentations on functional programming concepts (functors, applicatives, monads, etc):
- Scalaz for the Rest of Us by Adam Rosien
- The Typeclassopedia by John Kodumal
