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Re: Functional programming?

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg91955] Re: Functional programming?
  • From: Vince Virgilio <blueschi at gmail.com>
  • Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2008 03:39:38 -0400 (EDT)
  • References: <gag2ra$3f9$1@smc.vnet.net>

On Sep 13, 5:58 am, AES <sieg... at stanford.edu> wrote:
> I suggest it might be instructive if some of the functional programming
> proponents on this group could provide us DO-looping old timers with a
> brief summary or tutorial as to what is really meant by, or involved in,
> "functional programming"?
>
> --- especially as this concept might relate to building programs to do
> calculations involving multi-stage real-world engineering or technical
> problems
>
> --- and especially as it might relate to programs that are going to be
> developed in an evolutionary process and that in the end, rather than
> being built into some long-term library, are maybe only going to be run
> or executed a few times before the person involved (e.g., an engineer,
> or scientist, or other real-world individual, not a "programmer") moves
> on to some other totally different task or assignment.

I hazard the opinion that you find many (rudimentary?) examples of
functional programming in spreadsheets (any vendor's). Which are also
very good examples of 'disposable' code a.k.a. 'engineering' code.

Say, the SUM function, which takes a Range of cells to give a total,
without requiring a loop index. Very functional. No?

Vince Virgilio


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