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Return – Haskell
For newcomers to Haskell, the return function can be confusing, especially for those transitioning from imperative programming languages where return is used to exit a function and provide a result. In Haskell, return means something entirely different. It’s a fundamental concept in monadic programming, and understanding its role is key to mastering Haskell. This article…
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Reverse Polish Notation (RPN)
Reverse Polish Notation (RPN), also known as postfix notation, is a mathematical notation in which operators follow their operands. In relation to Haskell, RPN is not a core language feature but is relevant when implementing or understanding stack-based computations or evaluating expressions using a stack. It is often encountered in the context of parsing, expression…
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First-class Functions – Haskell
In Haskell, functions are first-class citizens, meaning they are treated like any other value in the language. This foundational feature of Haskell’s design makes it a powerful and expressive functional programming language. Understanding first-class functions is key to unlocking Haskell’s potential and mastering functional programming concepts. What Does “First-Class Functions” Mean? When we say “functions…
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Eta Conversion – Haskell
Eta reduction and eta expansion are terms you might encounter when working with Haskell or functional programming. These concepts are rooted in lambda calculus and are essential for understanding how Haskell functions can be simplified or transformed. By learning about eta reduction and expansion, you can write cleaner, more concise code and better understand how…
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Binary Function – Haskell
A binary function in Haskell is a function that takes two arguments and returns a result. In Haskell, functions are inherently curried, meaning a binary function can be thought of as a function that takes one argument and returns another function expecting the second argument. Characteristics of Binary Functions in Haskell This means: 2. Curried…
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Monoids – Haskell
Monoids are a fundamental concept in Haskell, often used in functional programming to model and work with combining operations. They provide a simple and elegant way to represent values that can be combined together in an associative manner, along with a neutral “identity” element. In this article, we’ll explore what monoids are, how they work…
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Type vs. Newtype vs. Data in Haskell
Haskell provides multiple ways to define custom types: type, newtype, and data. Each serves a distinct purpose and is optimized for specific use cases. While they can sometimes appear interchangeable, understanding their differences is crucial for writing efficient, type-safe, and expressive Haskell code. This article will explore the key distinctions between type, newtype, and data,…
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What’s the difference between a Value, Type, and Data Constructor in Haskell?
In Haskell, terms like value constructor, type constructor, and data constructor often arise when discussing types and data structures. These terms relate to how Haskell’s type system and data declarations work. While the concepts are interconnected, they serve distinct purposes. Let’s break them down: 1. Type Constructor A type constructor is used to define new…
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Newtype Keyword – Haskell
Haskell provides several ways to define custom types, including data, type, and newtype. Among these, the newtype keyword offers a lightweight way to create a new type that wraps an existing type. While it might seem similar to data or type at first glance, newtype has unique properties that make it both efficient and useful…
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What’s the difference between functors and applicatives (applicative functors)?
In Haskell, both functors and applicative functors are abstractions for working with values in a context, such as Maybe, List, or IO. While they are closely related, applicative functors extend the capabilities of functors, enabling more complex operations that require multiple values in a context. Let’s explore the differences between the two concepts and how…
