How do you choose a functional programming language?

1 Paradigm and features

The first thing to consider is whether you want a purely functional language or a multi-paradigm language that supports functional programming. Purely functional languages, such as Haskell, enforce strict rules on how functions and data are defined and manipulated, which can prevent side effects and errors. Multi-paradigm languages, such as Scala, Clojure, or Elixir, allow you to mix functional and imperative styles, which can give you more flexibility and interoperability. You should also look at the features and syntax of each language, such as pattern matching, lazy evaluation, type systems, and macros, and see how they fit your preferences and needs.

2 Ecosystem and community

Another factor to consider is the availability and quality of libraries, tools, and frameworks that support your functional programming language of choice. You want to make sure that you can find the resources and dependencies that you need for your project, such as web development, data analysis, or machine learning. You also want to check the size and activity of the community around your language, as it can affect the documentation, support, and innovation that you can access. You can look at online platforms, such as GitHub, Stack Overflow, or Reddit, to get a sense of the popularity and trends of each language.

3 Performance and scalability

A third aspect to consider is how your functional programming language performs and scales in different scenarios and environments. You want to choose a language that can handle the complexity and demands of your project, such as speed, memory usage, concurrency, or parallelism. You should also consider the compatibility and interoperability of your language with other technologies and platforms, such as databases, web servers, or cloud services. You can compare the benchmarks and reviews of each language to get an idea of their strengths and weaknesses.

4 Learning curve and productivity

A final factor to consider is how easy or difficult it is to learn and use your functional programming language. You want to choose a language that matches your skill level and background, as well as your goals and expectations. You should also evaluate how productive and enjoyable it is to work with your language, such as how expressive, concise, and elegant it is, and how it supports debugging, testing, and refactoring. You can try out some tutorials and courses of each language to get a feel of their syntax and semantics.

Choosing a functional programming language is not a trivial task, as it depends on many factors and preferences. However, by following these criteria and examples, you can narrow down your options and find the best fit for your software design project.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?