Introduction

The Phoenix Framework v1.2

Preliminary Draft

February 2001, Joel de Guzman

Functional programming (or FP) is gaining momentum as more programmers discover its power. In its purest form, the paradigms set forth seem to be too detached from what most programmers are already accustomed to. In the point of view of the C or Pascal imperative programmer, for instance, FP techniques and concepts are quite esoteric at first glance. Learning a pure FP language such as Haskell for example requires a significant quantum leap.

FP can be taken as a methodology that is not at all tied to a specific language. FP as a programming discipline can be applied to many programming languages. In the realm of C++ for instance, we are seeing more FP techniques being applied. C++ is sufficiently rich to support at least some of the most important facets of FP such as higher order functions. C++ deservedly regards itself as a multiparadigm programming language. It is not only procedural; it is not only object oriented; stealthily beneath the core of the standard C++ library, a closer look into STL gives us a glimpse of a truly FP paradigm already in place. It is obvious that the authors of STL know and practice FP. In the near future, we shall see more FP trickle down into the mainstream. Surely.

The truth is, although FP is rich in concepts new and alien to the typical C++ programmer, we need not shift the paradigm in its entirety wholesale; but rather in small pieces at a time. In fact, most of the FP techniques can coexist quite well with the standard object oriented and imperative programming paradigms. When we are using STL algorithms and functors for example, we are already doing FP.

Phoenix extends the concepts of FP to C++ much further. In a nutshell, the framework opens up FP techniques such as Lambda (unnamed functions) and Currying (partial function evaluation).

Copyright © 2001-2002 Joel de Guzman

Use, modification and distribution is subject to the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)