Keeping an open mind, reading Programming Erlang
I’ve previously noted in passing that I find the idea of the PragProg folks focusing attention on a language as klunky as Erlang rather disappointing. However, Erlang has clearly entered the coding zeitgeist, and after reading the fourth or fifth breathless article written by a guy who’s never written production Erlang but nonetheless knows it will change the world, I decided I can’t be a language bigot and had to look into it for myself.
So, I got the Programming Erlang PDF and started reading through it. I’m only to the second chapter at this point, but I must say my bigotry still stands. Yes, I see the value of a language in which concurrency is a first-class citizen in the language’s domain, and yes functional programming languages can do cool things, but whoever came up with the Erlang syntax clearly knew (and hated) C/C++/C#/Java, and thus went to great lengths to make sure nothing in Erlang is anything like the most widely used and familiar family of programming languages in human history.
When I finish the book I’ll post a detailed Syllabus of Errors.
August 11th, 2007 - 06:52
Different Syntax
Would you feel the same way about the syntax of Haskell or Lisp? Sometimes you really do need a different syntax to express solutions more succinctly.
Erlang’s syntax reflects its origins in Prolog and academic research than any dislike for the Algol-style languages, btw.
August 11th, 2007 - 18:06
I do feel the same way about Lisp, and am too ignorant of Haskell to have an informed opinion. I’m definitely a right-tool-for-the-job kind of person, but I’ve yet to be shown the kind of jobs for which one really benefits from Erlang-style syntax.
I’ve read more than half of the book now, and am definitely more comfortable with the Erlang syntax (inasmuch as I can grok it, not that I like it). I must say the concurrent programming primitives and idioms in Erlang and the OTP are pretty kickass, but I’m having a hard time getting over the dramatic differences between idiomatic Erlang and all the (admitedly Algol-descended) languages I like.
For what it’s worth, I was just talking shit about Erlang’s designer’s disdain for C. I can’t help it if my curmudgeonly voice is my most expressive
Anyway, I’ll keep reading, and throw together a few apps before I make my final judgment.