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Functional Programming with Java

functionaljava.org

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Re: Functional Programming with Java

#21

Post by srean »

msutherl wrote: post #20
msutherl wrote: post #18

Does anybody know if there is a library like this for C/C++?

After a quick Google, I see there are a few. So I change my question to: has anybody used and liked/disliked one of these libraries or a similar one? The main ones I could find were FC++ and FACT: http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~yannis/fc++/ http://hci.usask.ca/people/ragu/writings/FunctionalProgrammi... ; http://www.fz-juelich.de/jsc/FACT/Old_Pages/fact_index.html http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_45_0/libs/functional/index…

I have played with FC++ a little bit. Its nice, but if you are used to scheme it will feel verbose. But one cant really complain, C++ wasn't really meant for this.

Re: Functional Programming with Java

#22

Post by gtani »

sandGorgon wrote: post #11
moondowner wrote: post #8

Or even better than using libraries for functional programming in Java, learn and use Scala. You can mix Scala and Java code where needed.

scala != functional programming http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/scala-not-functional/ It does have functional programming constructs though Clojure is a much better candidate for FP on the JVM.

http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/what-is-a-functional-...

Note: NOT written by same guy who did "Scala not Functional".

Everybody has a different definition of FP in mind with these, uh, parameters:

- "no hidden side effects"; clearly demarcated IO functions, database calls.

- curry, partial function application; lexical closures

- TCO

- 1st class, higher-order functions

- Immutable / persistent collections / data structures

Altho most people agree that these are orthogonal to the definition of FP, (but nice to have:

- type inference (ML's is variously referred to as Damas-Milner or Hindley-Milner) or static typing

- lazy eval

- pattern matching

- green/lightweight threads with message passing OR STM/MVCC

- monads,arrows, functors, CPS

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/485418/distinctive-traits...

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1112773/what-are-the-core...

Re: Functional Programming with Java

#23

Post by technomancy »

badmash69 wrote: post #16

Great Job!! To those wondering why not move to Clojure or Scala instead of this approach, here is why I am holding back: a) I have a mission critical enterprise app that is in maintainance mode. I need to enhance certain features dealing with concurrency -- my team can ramp up Actor model implementation in functionaljava or Jetlang faster than they can ramp up on Scala. b) No doubt that Scala is actually better Java…

> its hard enough finding a good java programmer; imagine how difficult it would be to hire good Scala programmers from the small eclectic community of Scala programmers.

It seems likely that it's hard to find good Java programmers precisely _because_ the skilled devs are tired of Java and see Scala as a way out.

Re: Functional Programming with Java

#24

Post by stephen »

srean wrote: post #2

Taken from one of the examples : final HAppend , HCons >>, HCons >>>> one = append(zero); It's here that I miss the repurposed auto keyword of C++ to do some rudimentary type inference.

Although I was initially skeptical about lombok's "let's hack the private compiler APIs", I must admit that their recent val hack is awesome:

http://projectlombok.org/features/val.html

I find it frustrating that these guys can hack in "val" but JDK7 has token crap like the "diamond operator".

Re: Functional Programming with Java

#25

Post by joshhart »

badmash69 wrote: post #16

Great Job!! To those wondering why not move to Clojure or Scala instead of this approach, here is why I am holding back: a) I have a mission critical enterprise app that is in maintainance mode. I need to enhance certain features dealing with concurrency -- my team can ramp up Actor model implementation in functionaljava or Jetlang faster than they can ramp up on Scala. b) No doubt that Scala is actually better Java…

It would be actually easier to hire a good Scala than a good Java programmer because most Scala programmers are good. PG has an essay on this phenomenon somewhere.

I'm also not confident that Java will "catch up" to Scala. There's more to Scala than concurrency or functional programming. Type inference, first class objects, short syntax for FP, persistent datastructures, a better object system, etc.

Re: Functional Programming with Java

#26

Post by jefffoster »

badmash69 wrote: post #16

Great Job!! To those wondering why not move to Clojure or Scala instead of this approach, here is why I am holding back: a) I have a mission critical enterprise app that is in maintainance mode. I need to enhance certain features dealing with concurrency -- my team can ramp up Actor model implementation in functionaljava or Jetlang faster than they can ramp up on Scala. b) No doubt that Scala is actually better Java…

> I am confident that later versions of JDK would catch up

With the current situation with Oracle, Apache and Google I'm not entirely confident that the Java language will evolve in any significant way.

Re: Functional Programming with Java

#27

Post by gtani »

gtani wrote: post #22
sandGorgon wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

scala != functional programming http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/scala-not-functional/ It does have functional programming constructs though Clojure is a much better candidate for FP on the JVM.

http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/what-is-a-functional-... Note: NOT written by same guy who did "Scala not Functional". Everybody has a different definition of FP in mind with these, uh, parameters: - "no hidden side effects"; clearly demarcated IO functions, database calls. - curry, partial function application; lexical closures - TCO - 1st class, higher-order functions - Immutable / persistent collections / d…

is scala FP? Usually FP languages are :

- lisps and schemes: CL, racket,

- the ML/erlang/haskell axis incl ocaml,

- spoken of in reverent tones: dylan, clean, mozart/oz

- the JVM/CLR languages: clojure, F#, scala, groovy, jruby

Re: Functional Programming with Java

#28

Post by moondowner »

sp4rki wrote: post #13
moondowner wrote: post #8

Or even better than using libraries for functional programming in Java, learn and use Scala. You can mix Scala and Java code where needed.

I second Clojure for a functional programming language on the JVM. Why anyone would want to do functional programming in Java is really beyond my comprehension though.

Scala is and object oriented and functional. People don't count it in the functional languages listings because it's not a pure functional language, that's all.

Here's a nice 108 page presentation, named Pragmatic Real-World Scala.

http://www.slideshare.net/rawwell/pragmaticrealworldscalajfo...

Re: Functional Programming with Java

#29

Post by moondowner »

gtani wrote: post #27
gtani wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/what-is-a-functional-... Note: NOT written by same guy who did "Scala not Functional". Everybody has a different definition of FP in mind with these, uh, parameters: - "no hidden side effects"; clearly demarcated IO functions, database calls. - curry, partial function application; lexical closures - TCO - 1st class, higher-order functions - Immutable / persistent collections / d…

is scala FP? Usually FP languages are : - lisps and schemes: CL, racket, - the ML/erlang/haskell axis incl ocaml, - spoken of in reverent tones: dylan, clean, mozart/oz - the JVM/CLR languages: clojure, F#, scala, groovy, jruby

Well you have the answer:

"- the JVM/CLR languages: clojure, F#, scala, groovy, jruby"

Yes, it is, it's and OO and FP.

Re: Functional Programming with Java

#30

Post by badmash69 »

joshhart wrote: post #25
badmash69 wrote: post #16

Great Job!! To those wondering why not move to Clojure or Scala instead of this approach, here is why I am holding back: a) I have a mission critical enterprise app that is in maintainance mode. I need to enhance certain features dealing with concurrency -- my team can ramp up Actor model implementation in functionaljava or Jetlang faster than they can ramp up on Scala. b) No doubt that Scala is actually better Java…

It would be actually easier to hire a good Scala than a good Java programmer because most Scala programmers are good. PG has an essay on this phenomenon somewhere. I'm also not confident that Java will "catch up" to Scala. There's more to Scala than concurrency or functional programming. Type inference, first class objects, short syntax for FP, persistent datastructures, a better object system, etc.

I agree with your opinion about Scala.

However, my point was that Java will continue to be always good enough to steal thunder from more promising languages. ( I realize that Oracle may find a way to screw it up)

Had JDK 7 not included Fork/Join and had Actor model implementations such as Jetlang, Kilim and FunctionalJava not been developed, there could have been a strong case to call Java dated and explore Scala in the enterprise. I began exploring Scala / Clojure to deal with multicore CPUs .concurrency etc. but that is no longer a valid concern.

Java was never elegant to start with -- it just barely got the job done -- and continues to get the job done and that is good enough.

They say that when you have a hammer, everything looks like a Nail. Java is my hammer.

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