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Have you ever wanted to know what a monad is? How about a functor? What about algebraic data types and parametric polymorphism? If you've been interested in these ideas but scared off by the language, you're not alone: for an approach that champions composing simple pieces, functional programming is full of complex jargon. In this talk, we'll cover these topics from a Ruby and Rails perspective, composing small ideas in everyday language. Before we're through, you'll have a rich new set of FP ideas to apply to your projects—and you'll finally learn what a monad is (hint: it's not a burrito).
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In the video "Functional Programming in Plain Terms" presented by Eric Weinstein at RailsConf 2022, the speaker demystifies complex concepts of functional programming (FP) using Ruby and Rails as a reference point. The talk aims to simplify the jargon associated with FP, making it accessible to software developers who may feel intimidated by the terminology. The speaker outlines the agenda, which focuses on context, intuition, and the vocabulary of FP, covering subjects such as pure functions, algebraic data types, functors, monoids, and monads. Key points discussed include: - **Pure Functions**: Functions without side effects, meaning their output is entirely dependent on their inputs. This concept aids in reasoning about programs and reduces unexpected behaviors. - **Algebraic Data Types (ADTs)**: These are types constructed from other types, allowing more expressive type systems, useful for modeling complex data structures and managing states. - **Functors**: These are abstractions allowing functions to be applied to values contained within a context (e.g., lists). Functors support a `map` operation, facilitating transformations. - **Monoids**: These are types that define an associative binary operation and an identity element, providing a basis for accumulation. An example provided is reducing a list to sum its elements. - **Monads**: Described humorously as "smart pipes", which manage side effects in a fluent manner while preserving the composability of functions. The speaker describes their use in organizing code that requires context management without compromising the pure functional paradigm. Throughout the video, Weinstein emphasizes the usefulness of these concepts in Ruby, arguing that while Ruby is not a purely functional language, it can certainly borrow and utilize these FP principles effectively. He encourages developers to learn more about good type systems and how they empower safer and more intuitive coding practices. The talk concludes with a recommendation to explore functional programming further, pointing to resources like Haskell and Elm to gain a deeper understanding of these concepts.
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