Why Functional Programming?

As software becomes more complex, it is imperative to structure it well, to ensure that it is easy to write, debug, and provides a collection of modules that can be reused to reduce future programming costs. Functional Programming has been around for a while, but it is gaining popularity, especially due to direct support in languages on the JVM and the CLR. Writing code in functional style is not about syntax, it is a paradigm shift.

In this presentation, using examples from F# to C# and Scala to Java, you will learn how to write code in functional style. We will start out discussing the elements of functional programming and then look at examples of some common operations and how you can implement those in functional style.

Our speaker for this meeting, Riccardo Terrell, is a Software Architect at Microsoft who is passionate about functional programming. He is active in the F# community and started the DC F# user’s group. Riccardo is a believer in polyglot programming as a mechanism in finding the right tool for the job. He likes to describe himself as a functional guy living in an imperative world.

We will meet at TEKsystems in Linthicum. There is plenty of free parking in front of the building. The meeting will start at 7:00 PM. If you get there after 7:00 and find yourself locked out, you will find our phone number posted on the front door. Call the number and someone will come to let you in. Don't be embarrassed - happens all the time.

We will provide a little time for networking before the meeting, so you are welcome to arrive a few minutes early for pizza and conversation.

Many thanks to TEKsystems for hosting this meeting and providing pizza and soft drinks.