This week Matt Podwysocki puts the fun in functional programming with a deep dive into F#. We’ve heard plenty of high level discussions of F# and functional programming lately, so we tried to dig into the gory details as much as possible:

What is functional programming, and why should we care?

Types of applications that would and wouldn’t benefit from F#

How F# differs from C# 3.x and Javascript

How F# is being used (games, scripting, data analysis and scrubbing, etc.)

F# pattern matching

Using F# in your C# or VB based applications today

Getting started: F# Interactive, reading the F# source, books and resources

Interaction with DLR

Functional features we’d like to see in C# and VB

Spec# and Sing#

Links:

Download / Listen

Herding Code 18: Matthew Podwysocki on F# and Functional Programming

[audio: //herdingcode.com/wp-content/uploads/HerdingCode-0018-Matthew-Podwysocki-on-F-Sharp-and-Functional-Programming.mp3]

Additional F# References:

Books:

Expert F# – Don Syme – http://www.amazon.com/Expert-F-Experts-Voice-Net/dp/1590598504/

Foundations of F# – Robert Pickering – http://www.amazon.com/Foundations-F-Experts-Voice-Net/dp/1590597575/

F# for Scientists – Dr. Jon Harrop – http://www.amazon.com/F-Scientists-Jon-Harrop/dp/0470242116/

Blogs:

Don Syme – http://blogs.msdn.com/dsyme/default.aspx

Chris Smith (F# Tester) – http://blogs.msdn.com/chrsmith/default.aspx

Brian McNamara (F# Dev) – http://lorgonblog.spaces.live.com/

Jomo Fisher (F# Dev) – http://blogs.msdn.com/jomo_fisher/default.aspx

Andrew Kennedy (MSR) – http://blogs.msdn.com/andrewkennedy/default.aspx

Luca Bolognese (Managed Languages Principal PM) – http://blogs.msdn.com/lucabol/default.aspx

Podcasts/Videos

Dryad on .NET Rocks – http://www.dotnetrocks.com/default.aspx?showNum=378

Simon Peyton-Jones on Functional Programming and Haskell – http://se-radio.net/podcast/2008-08/episode-108-simon-peyton-jones-functional-programming-and-haskell

F# Examples