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Re: Functional programming?

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg92084] Re: Functional programming?
  • From: David Bailey <dave at Remove_Thisdbailey.co.uk>
  • Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:56:48 -0400 (EDT)
  • References: <200809130957.FAA03536@smc.vnet.net> <gal3dg$dql$1@smc.vnet.net> <gat9cl$ead$1@smc.vnet.net>

peter lindsay wrote:
> To a novice in these matters like myself it looks to me as if:1. Debugging
> FP code could be very challenging
> 2. Although FP looks very concise and fast, there a lot going on that's not
> immediately apparent and its not clear [ to me ] how to get full hand-on on
> that code.
> I know these comments will seem naive to the many experts out there, but its
> just my observation.
> 
> Peter
> 
> 
I don't think this comment is naive at all - code in a style that seems 
clear to you, but bear in mind that if you expect performance to be an 
issue, the innermost loops should use FP if at all possible.

Often the only way to unpick really complex expressions, is to select 
successively larger pieces (using Ctrl-. ) copy them somewhere, and see 
how they evaluate.

David Bailey
http://www.dbaileyconsultancy.co.uk


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