Functional programming has been shown to be a good fit for web
development. The Links functional web programming language
developed by Cooper, Lindley, Wadler and Yallop at the University
of Edinburgh allows client, server, and database code to be
written in a single language, while providing abstractions such
as formlets to allow form data to be retrieved in a structured,
elegant and type-safe manner. More recently, these ideas have
been picked up and expanded upon in IntelliFactory's WebSharper
web framework, which embeds many of the concepts in the .NET
functional-first language F#.
In this talk, I'll take a look at Links and WebSharper, comparing
the approaches taken by each. In doing so, I'll explore some of
the language features of F# which make the embedding possible,
revisit some web abstractions such as Formlets, and talk about
some more recent abstractions such as Piglets (yes, Piglets).
More details: sites.google.com
About EdLambda
EdLambda is an Edinburgh group for people interested in functional programming which has been running since September 2010. We meet in the Outhouse pub on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 7pm. There is usually a talk on a subject of interest to functional programmers, followed by chat and drink! EdLambda meetups are free events and everyone is welcome.
The Outhouse pub
12A Broughton Street Lane
Edinburgh
EH1 3LY
