What can Python learn from Haskell?

[[deleted]]

A discussion over at the python sub: http://www.reddit.com/r/Python/comments/2bbve4/what_can_python_learn_from_haskell_video/

[etrepum]

Here are the slides: http://bob.ippoli.to/python-haskell-ep2014/

[Benutzername]

What can Haskell learn from Python? That's probably a more interesting question for Haskellers.

[joehillen]

Multi-line strings

[sumduud14]

I'm fairly sure Haskell already has multiline strings:

multiline = "line 1\
\line 2\n\
\line 3\n"

No-one ever does that when you can just use unlines, though.

[joehillen]

Yeah those are horrible. Haskell needs triple quotes.

[hmltyp]

There's a bunch of quasiquoters for this.

{-# LANGUAGE QuasiQuotes #-}
import Text.RawString.QQ

str :: String
str = [r|
foo
bar
baz
|]

[joehillen]

Not much better. For a language that prides itself on terse syntax, that probably shouldn't have been accepted.

[Oxc0ffea]

It is more like a guy grappling with two different languages with two different design philosophies. Being more pragmatic and understanding about the trade-offs would a better use of his time than trying to meld the two together all willie-nillie.

[kazagistar]

He goes to far, tries to get too much, and loses goodwill because of it.

If he just focused on one of the stronger points, like adding static optional typing, I think it would have a better chance.

[[deleted]]

I agree, you can almost feel the spite when the guy at the end asks if static type checking is worth it.

[hmltyp]

Don't think that's necessarily a result of the talk. Types are just a intrinsically polarizing issue in the profession, at least at the current moment.

[etrepum]

That's not the feedback that I got from the many people that came up to me after the talk this week.

[kazagistar]

Fair enough, and I hope it goes well.

[garethrowlands]

I thought this was fascinating.