How do you learn and keep up with the latest developments or trends in type inference and polymorphism?

1 What are type inference and polymorphism?

Type inference is the ability of a compiler or an interpreter to deduce the types of variables, functions, and expressions without explicit annotations from the programmer. This can save you time and avoid errors by eliminating the need to write redundant type declarations. Polymorphism is the ability of a function or a data type to work with different kinds of values or arguments. This can increase the flexibility and generality of your code by avoiding duplication and specialization. For example, in Haskell, a polymorphic function like

length        

can calculate the length of any list, regardless of the type of its elements.

3 How do you learn them?

The best way to learn type inference and polymorphism is to practice them in a functional programming language of your choice. There are many languages that support these features, such as Haskell, OCaml, Scala, Clojure, F#, and Elixir. You can start by reading the official documentation, tutorials, and books on these languages, and learn the basic syntax, concepts, and tools. Then, you can try some online courses, exercises, or challenges that will teach you how to apply type inference and polymorphism in various scenarios and problems. For example, you can check out Learn You a Haskell for Great Good, Real World OCaml, Functional Programming Principles in Scala, Clojure for the Brave and True, Get Programming with F#, or Elixir School.

4 How do you keep up with them?

To keep up with the latest developments or trends in type inference and polymorphism, you need to follow the news, blogs, podcasts, and conferences related to functional programming. These sources will keep you updated on the new features, libraries, frameworks, and best practices that use or improve type inference and polymorphism in different languages and domains. For example, you can subscribe to Lambda the Ultimate, Planet Haskell, OCaml Planet, Scala Times, Clojure Gazette, F# Weekly, or Elixir Radar. You can also listen to podcasts like Functional Geekery, Haskell Cast, The OCaml Podcast, Scala Love, The REPL, F# |> BANG, or Elixir Mix. You can also attend or watch online conferences like ICFP, Haskell Symposium, OCaml Workshop, Scala Days, Clojure Conj, F# Exchange, or Elixir Conf.

5 How do you apply them?

Finally, to apply type inference and polymorphism in your own projects or work, you need to practice them regularly and seek feedback from other functional programmers. You can join online communities, forums, or groups that are dedicated to functional programming, such as Stack Overflow, Reddit, Discord, Slack, or Meetup. There, you can ask questions, share your code, learn from others' solutions, and participate in discussions or events. You can also contribute to open source projects that use functional programming languages, such as GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. There, you can review code, submit issues, make pull requests, and collaborate with other developers.

6 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?