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Discussion on: Why you are scared of Functional Programming

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kspeakman profile image
Kasey Speakman • Edited

Oh I agree. I have enjoyed learning the more advanced topics. But those are often intimidating to beginners. And you really don't need to know about them to get started and get real value from the paradigm. They make for really pleasant surprises later. And FP languages make those gems more noticeable sooner. For example, I don't think I ever would have embraced functional error handling in C#, because the language makes it too much work. (And I did try.)

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Pim

I agree with this. I think the advanced topics present tremendous value down the road. But are hardly of value in the beginning of someones journey. Think, explaining generics to a new C# developer. The best analogy from life I can think of is teaching how to play a card game to someone and whilst explaining the rules, you introduce strategies. The strategies are incredibly useful. But only serve to muddle the learning process. Possibly to the point of quitting.