
Hey Underscore, You're Doing It Wrong!
About this video
Brian Lonsdorf explains why Underscore.js falls short as a functional programming library, then introduces currying, composition and point-free style in JavaScript. He argues for data-last argument ordering.
Why it appears in the archive
A repeatedly recommended introduction to functional JavaScript that explains currying and why data should come last.
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From the Hacker News discussion
That is great feedback. I am actually working on creating a "functional" version of the 2048 game, along with my own implementation of the AI solver, as part of this series. Kinda goofy, and maybe not a "real world" situation as much, but should at least show the concepts being applied. I also very much recommend this video by Brian Lonsdorf, titled "Hey Underscore, You're Doing It Wrong!: [VIDEO]
Read original comment ↗There is an excellent talk called "Underscore, you're doing it wrong!". The talk explains how well designed param order with currying leads to very short and expressive code -- and how underscore missed the boat. This aspect of it should be interesting as it's related to this post. It's well worth the watch. [VIDEO]
Read original comment ↗I find this talk inspiring. Underscore.js got many things wrong for FP: [VIDEO] . I've read Grokking Simplicity too. It's very approachable book. Highly recommend it for JS/TS developers who want to learn FP!
Read original comment ↗If you're interested in FP in javascript, you should check out the relatively new Ramda.js [1]. It switches from the underscore style collection first call pattern to a collection last pattern and automatically curries its functions. The combination allows for easier function composition. [1] [LINK] More info on the topic: [LINK] [VIDEO] [LINK]
Read original comment ↗I would add: 'Hey Underscore, You're Doing It Wrong' -- [VIDEO] It is much better than the title would suggest :)
Read original comment ↗Meh, I don't know or use Haskell and I'm interested in this stuff. I'm a javascript programmer introduced to these concepts via [1] [VIDEO] and [LINK] . Programming in a point free style in javascript is great! 1: Hey Underscore, You're Doing it Wrong!
Read original comment ↗You might already be using certain functional programming constructs without being aware of them. Contrary to popular misconception, OOP and functional programming don't have to be mutually exclusive. "Pure" functional programming (ala Haskell) and OOP most certainly are to an extent non-overlapping (since OOP has state+behaviour at its core), and pure fn-languages have no side-effects. High-order function in java don't exist, so one would do : new Thread(new Runnable() { ... }).start(); A builder pattern can be distilled down as a form of partial application (or, currying, if you like. They aren't the same thing, but are very similar): alertDialog .setMessage(...) .setPositiveButtonText(...) .setNegativeButtonText(...) .setPositiveButtonOnClickListener(...) .setNegativeButtonOnClickListener(...) .build() .show() Functors (in OCaml) can be viewed as Java's abstract-generic-classes with dependency injection [0]. Note that functors in different languages mean different things. Monads are tricky to understand [1], I have been led to believe. But if you use the promises API in javascript, then you're using a form of monad [2]. If you're familiar with javascript, have a look at: [VIDEO] (Hey Underscore, you're doing it wrong!) I think the best way is to read a book on fn-programming. I've heard most people recommend these (pick a language, and choose a book; you cannot go wrong with any of these): Functional DS: [LINK] Real World Haskell: [LINK] Real World OCaml: [LINK] The Joy of
Read original comment ↗Because then you can curry/partially apply functions independent of your data. It's _not_ because it's convention everywhere else. (I realize that only really makes sense if you know why it makes sense, so this video gives a pretty good explanation in ~30 minutes - [VIDEO] )
Read original comment ↗