[Ask HN] Good book about functional programming?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=790703

by steiger • 17 years ago

8 10 17 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Hello all.

What would you recommend me to read if I want to dive deep into the functional programming paradigm? There's plenty of this kind of material for Object Oriented programming (of course, given the hype.), but i dunno about FP.

mbrubeck• 17 years ago

They're both designed to teach specific languages, but I found both Real World Haskell and Programming Erlang conveyed a lot about practical functional programming. You can read RWH for free online (but it seems to be down as I type this): http://book.realworldhaskell.org/

10ren3• 17 years ago

I also found Armstrong's Erlang book excellent for an intro to functional programming (but it's not particularly advanced). I got the pdf-only version, which is a bit cheaper.

The obvious recommendation for fp (functional programming) on HN is SICP (Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs). The full text is free online http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/

Everyone raves about SICP, from top to bottom of the fp world.

However, some objections: 1. it purports to be an introduction to programming, but it assumes a lot of background knowledge (so that's fine if you have the background, but the inconsistency irritates my inner pedant). 2. the authors don't use it themselves anymore in their programming course (they switched to python, for variously debated reasons).

ananthrk2• 17 years ago

it assumes a lot of background knowledge

What kind of background knowledge is required?

dasil0032• 17 years ago

Maybe it's too obvious but someone's got to mention Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (aka SICP). It's not strictly about functional programming, but it starts with functional programming and then discusses the implications of adding mutable state. I think it's a good idea to get that under your belt before diving into Haskell where it's already taken as a foregone conclusion that the negatives of mutable state outweigh the benefits.

http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/

jlouis• 17 years ago

Larry C. Paulson - "ML for the working programmer" will have you thinking for years to come. It is meant for people who do know a programming language, but none of those an FP-lang.

It covers Standard ML, but you will find that the ideas of FP are easy to move around from language to language.

jonjacky• 17 years ago

Bird and Wadler, Introduction to Functional Programming is a classic. They have a more recent book, Introduction to Functional Programming in Haskell, which I haven't seen.

[Ask HN] Good book about functional programming?

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