Open Tech Calendar

A late change of schedule due to a calendar mishap! F# is deferred, hopefully only until next month. Instead, Glen Mailer will be showing off a bit of hot reloading magic.

1. Edit file.
2. Save file.
3. Compile code.
4. Reload browser.
5. Click around and interact with the page.
6. Somehow get back to the exact same state.
7. Check result.
8. Not quite right.
9. Go back to step 1, do not pass go, do not collect £200.

Interpreted languages, fast compile times & fast test suites are great at reducing the feedback cycle, but those aren't the only areas where feedback is important.

What if you could edit your code and see the effects immediately? Going from step 1 to step 7 in the scenario above without having to do anything in between. How would having that sort of instant feedback affect the way you work?

I'll show how this can be achieved in a few different common (and uncommon) programming languages, and what sort of concessions (if any) you have to make in your code to make it work.

This isn't just a crazy fringe idea: it's been around in some form or another for ages, and it's something we can and should be using right now.

Afterwards we'll be heading to a nearby pub to decomplect with a drink or two and more functional programming chatter.