Day 26

Language change

Today I decided to switch languages…

Why Scala wasn’t right (for now)

• Being built on top of the Java virtual machine, to fully understand Scala it helps to have understand of Java. Therefore whenever I looked up things about Scala, it was always referring and comparing methods with Java. Few resources explained Scala concepts from a beginner perspective.
• Multi-paradigm language. Scala has the capability to operate in Object orientated and Functional Programming. This is great, when you understand and can differentiate between the two. But for someone who knows little about both, this just exposed me to too much at once. I needed to concentrated and learn paradigms one at a time.

Because of the reasons above, it was hard to focus and narrow my learning to learning purely Functional Programming. But Haskell is a language which is solely Functional Programming capable. By first learning Haskell and hence Functional Programming, I should be able to become more disciplined in implementing Functional Programming without the distraction of Java or O.O.P.

The Haskell book I shall be learning from is called “Haskell Programming from first principles” - Christopher Allen & Julie Moronuki. And this book seems to describe concepts without assumed programming knowledge which beneficial for my learning.

I’ve done some Lambda calculus so far but will save the Haskell blog for tomorrows blog!