An Angry Half-Dozen

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Abstract / Description of output

"Have you used it in anger yet?"

The time is a dozen years ago, the place is Oxford, and my fellow postdoc has just scrutinized my new bike. He's admired the chrome, checked the gears, noted the Kryptonite lock. Now he wants to know if I've used it to serious purpose. Gleaming chrome is well and good, but will it run you through the woods?

"Have you used it in anger yet?"

Having read the title of this column, you may have just asked the same question, though perhaps in different words. You've scrutinized functional languages. You've admired the elegance of lambda calculus, checked the benchmarks from the compilers, noted the security provided by strong typing. Now you want to know if they have been used to serious purpose. Mathematical elegance is well and good, but will it run that mission-critical system?

Here are a half-dozen examplars of functional programs used in anger.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)25-30
Number of pages6
JournalACM Sigplan Notices
Volume33
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 1998

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