I'm a physicist contemplating diving into functional programming, and I've come across a book called "Learn Physics with Functional Programming." While it's meant for learning physics, I thought it might be an interesting approach to learn programming from a physics perspective. I'm just looking to code as a hobby rather than for work. My background includes some Java, but I don't remember much beyond basic control flow structures. I've also heard of other books like "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs" and "OCaml from the Very Beginning" that could serve as good starting points. Can anyone share their thoughts on using functional programming as a beginner? Is it a wise choice, and do you have any recommendations?
4 Answers
Check out F# for fun and profit! It's a fantastic resource that introduces core functional programming concepts in a very approachable manner. If you want to dive deeper, the author has also written a great book on Domain-Driven Design with F#.
Starting with functional programming is definitely a smart move! It’s becoming increasingly popular. I’m currently learning Clojure and really enjoying it. The core idea is to write functions that produce consistent outputs from the same inputs, which can be tricky at times. Simon Peyton Jones mentioned even Excel is a form of functional programming since you expect the same results from your calculations every time!
If you had to pick just one functional programming language to start with, which one would you go for, especially with limited knowledge?
I did a lot with functional programming in Scala, but I ran into some practical issues when trying to apply it in the real world. It's definitely fun, but keep in mind that many workplaces don’t actually use pure functional programming.
That's totally cool! I'm just doing this for fun anyway, not looking to become a professional programmer.
I loved "Learn You a Haskell for Great Good!" The chapters have a fun vibe and the pacing works well for beginners. Alongside the book, you should check out some old Tsoding videos on YouTube for practical Haskell projects; they really helped me out!
Thanks for the recommendation!
What’s DDD, and is that suitable for someone who’s just starting out?