Skip to content

Instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

@chris-martin
Last active November 24, 2023 15:01
Show Gist options
  • Save chris-martin/0a0ccc382bd9ee07c8ee788d00f79108 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Save chris-martin/0a0ccc382bd9ee07c8ee788d00f79108 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.

Standardized Ladder of Functional Programming

The LambdaConf Ladder of Functional Programming (LOFP) is a standardized progression of different concepts and skills that developers must master on their journey to becoming expert-level functional programmers. LOFP can be used to rank workshops, talks, presentations, books, and courseware, so that aspiring functional programmers have a better understanding of what material is appropriate for them given their current experience.

Fire Keramik

Concepts

  • Immutable Data
  • Second-order Functions
  • Constructing & Destructuring
  • Function Composition
  • First-class Functions & Lambdas

Skills

  • Use second-order functions (map, filter, fold) on immutable data structures
  • Destructure values to access their components
  • Use data types to represent optionality
  • Read basic type signatures
  • Pass lambdas to second-order functions

Fire Lubline

Concepts

  • Algebraic Data Types
  • Pattern Matching
  • Parametric Polymorphism
  • General Recursion
  • Type Classes, Instances & Laws
  • Lower-Order Abstractions (Equal, Semigroup, Monoid, etc)
  • Referential Transparency & Totality
  • Higher-Order Functions
  • Partial-Application, currying, & Point-Free Style

Skills

  • Solve problems without nulls, exceptions, or type casts
  • Process & transform recursive data structures using recursion
  • Able to use functional programming "in the small"
  • Write basic monadic code for a concrete monad
  • Create type class instances for custom data types
  • Model a business domain with ADTs
  • Write functions that take and return functions
  • Reliably identify & isolate pure code from impure code
  • Avoid introducing unnecessary lambdas & named parameters

Ice Skrig

Concepts

  • Generalized Algebraic Data Types
  • Higher-Kinded Types
  • Rank-N Types
  • Folds & Unfolds
  • Higher-Order Abstractions (Category, Functor, Monad)
  • Basic Optics
  • Efficient Persistent Data Structures
  • Existential Types
  • Embedded DSLs using Combinators

Skills

  • Able to use functional programming "in the large"
  • Test code using generators and properties
  • Write imperative code in a purely functional way through monads
  • Use popular purely functional libraries to solve business problems
  • Separate decision from effects
  • Write a simple custom lawful monad
  • Write production medium-sized projects
  • Use lenses & prisms to manipulate data
  • Simplify types by hiding irrelevant data with existentials

Fire Brushe

Concepts

  • Codata
  • (Co) Recursion schemes
  • Advanced Optics
  • Dual Abstractions (Comonad)
  • Monad Transformers
  • Free Monads & Extensible Effects
  • Functional Architecture
  • Advanced Functors (Exponential, Profunctors, Contravariant)
  • Embedded DSLs using GADTs, Finally Tagless
  • Advanced Monads (Continuation, Logic)
  • Type Families, Functional Dependencies

Skills

  • Design a minimally-powerful monad transformer stack
  • Write concurrent and streaming programs
  • Use purely functional mocking in tests
  • Use type classes to modularly model different effects
  • Recognize type patterns & abstract over them
  • Use functional libraries in novel ways
  • Use optics to manipulate state
  • Write custom lawful monad transformers
  • Use free monads / extensible effects to separate concerns
  • Encode invariants at the type level
  • Effectively use FDs / type families to create safer code

Ice Thermagon

Concepts

  • High-Performance
  • Kind Polymorphism
  • Generic Programming
  • Type-Level Programming
  • Dependent-Types, Singleton Types
  • Category Theory
  • Graph Reduction
  • Higher-Order Abstract syntax
  • Compiler Design for Functional Languages
  • Profunctor Optics

Skills

  • Design a generic, lawful library with broad appeal
  • Prove properties manually using equational reasoning
  • Design & implement a new functional programming language
  • Create novel abstractions with laws
  • Write distributed systems with certain guarantees
  • Use proof systems to formally prove properties of code
  • Create libraries that do not permit invalid states
  • Use dependent-typing to prove more properties at compile-time
  • Understand deep relationships between different concepts
  • Profile, debug, & optimize purely functional code with minimal sacrifices

Released under CC BY-BC 4.0

Copyright Fantasyland Institute of Learning. All rights reserved.

@chris-martin
Copy link
Author

@GinBaby thx, fixed

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment