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F# 4.0 Design Patterns
F# 4.0 Design Patterns

F# 4.0 Design Patterns: Solve complex problems with functional thinking

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F# 4.0 Design Patterns

Chapter 2. Dissecting F# Origins and Design

This chapter reviews F# features from the historical perspective tracking them back to origins where possible. The review covers:

  • F# evolvement timeline
  • Predecessor inherited language features
  • .NET imposed language features
  • Intrinsic F# language features

Although F# is a functional-first programming language, at the same time, you should not forget that it is a multi-paradigm tool that allows paradigms to be combined if required. Another important aspect you should keep in mind is that F# is designed for a .NET platform, so certain language facilities are shaped by underlying implementation mechanisms and interoperability requirements. The goal of this chapter is to dissect the language into components in a way that allows you to grasp the origins and the logic behind a contemporary F# design.

The evolvement of F#

Press began mentioning (http://developers.slashdot.org/story/02/06/08/0324233/f---a-new-net-language) the F# programming language in the Summer of 2002 as a research project at Microsoft Research Cambridge (http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/labs/cambridge/) aiming to create a dialect of OCaml language (https://ocaml.org/) running on top of the .NET platform. Computer scientist Don Syme (http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/people/dsyme/) was in charge of design and the first implementation.

Predecessors

The F# project of Microsoft Research Cambridge didn't come from scratch. F# belongs to ML (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ML_(programming language)) programming language family. It predecessors are Standard ML (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_ML) and OCaml. Moreover, F# initially had a twin project at Microsoft Research Cambridge named SML.NET, which aimed at bringing Standard  ML (SML) to the .NET platform.

F# Version 1

The first release took place in...

Predecessor inherited language features

F# inherits the core of the features associated with its functional-first nature from ML and OCaml. This means that its chief fashion of expressing computations is via the definition and application of functions.

F# functions are first-class entities

The ability to define and apply functions is a common feature of many programming languages. However, F# follows ML and other functional programming languages in treating functions similarly to, say, numeric values. The ways of treating functions in F# go well beyond the limits usually associated with stored-program computer concept:

  • Functions can be used as arguments to other functions; the latter are higher-order functions in this case
  • Functions can be returned from other functions
  • Functions can be computed from other functions, for example, with the help of function composition operators
  • Functions can be elements of structures usually associated with data

Functions are free of side effects

Computations with...

.NET-imposed language features

Along with the features inherited from the language predecessors, the multitude of F# features was brought into the language for the sake of interoperability with the .NET platform.

F# adheres to .NET Common Language Infrastructure

Run-time arrangement for the F# code has been defined by .NET Common  Language  Infrastructure (CLI) and does not anyhow differ from the same of C# or VB.NET. F# compiler ingests F# source code file(s) and produces the intermediate code in assembly language named MSIL packaged as binary .NET assembly(ies). During code execution stage MSIL is converted into machine code as needed, or Just-in-time (JIT). Interoperability with other .NET languages is achieved as F#-produced assemblies do not anyhow differ from assemblies produced by C# or VB.NET. Similarly, the JIT compiler takes care of the target hardware platform providing portability. CLI also takes the burden of memory management on itself, making F# programs...

Intrinsic F# language features

Along with features inherited from F# predecessors, the F# language carries its own set of notable novel facilities. The outline of these facilities is discussed in the upcoming sections.

Indentation-aware syntax

Yes, this is correct; the F# compiler is sensitive to indentation in the source code (https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd233191.aspx), so correct code formatting is not just a matter of aesthetics. Why? Firstly, the improved code readability is enforced by the compiler, and secondly, this design choice dramatically decreases the amount of noise in the F# source code as block markers (such as curly brackets in C#) do not present, overall making the F# source code significantly shorter than the equivalent C# one.

Units of measure

This feature (https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd233243.aspx) allows you to decorate values with associated units and statically validate unit usage correctness by the compiler as well as infer units associated...

The evolvement of F#


Press began mentioning (http://developers.slashdot.org/story/02/06/08/0324233/f---a-new-net-language) the F# programming language in the Summer of 2002 as a research project at Microsoft Research Cambridge (http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/labs/cambridge/) aiming to create a dialect of OCaml language (https://ocaml.org/) running on top of the .NET platform. Computer scientist Don Syme (http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/people/dsyme/) was in charge of design and the first implementation.

Predecessors

The F# project of Microsoft Research Cambridge didn't come from scratch. F# belongs to ML (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ML_(programming language)) programming language family. It predecessors are Standard ML (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_ML) and OCaml. Moreover, F# initially had a twin project at Microsoft Research Cambridge named SML.NET, which aimed at bringing Standard  ML (SML) to the .NET platform.

F# Version 1

The first release took place in December of...

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Key benefits

  • This book provides a path if you are coming from imperative and object-oriented paradigms
  • It will take you to an intermediate level of functional programming in very practical manner to write enterprise-quality idiomatic F# code
  • Tackle complex computing problems with simple code by fully embracing the functional-first F# paradigm
  • Packed full of practical coding examples to help you master F# programming and author optimal code

Description

Following design patterns is a well-known approach to writing better programs that captures and reuses high-level abstractions that are common in many applications. This book will encourage you to develop an idiomatic F# coding skillset by fully embracing the functional-first F# paradigm. It will also help you harness this powerful instrument to write succinct, bug-free, and cross-platform code. F# 4.0 Design Patterns will start off by helping you develop a functional way of thinking. We will show you how beneficial the functional-first paradigm is and how to use it to get the optimum results. The book will help you acquire the practical knowledge of the main functional design patterns, the relationship of which with the traditional Gang of Four set is not straightforward. We will take you through pattern matching, immutable data types, and sequences in F#. We will also uncover advanced functional patterns, look at polymorphic functions, typical data crunching techniques, adjusting code through augmentation, and generalization. Lastly, we will take a look at the advanced techniques to equip you with everything you need to write flawless code.

Who is this book for?

This book is for .NET developers, web programmers, C# developers, and F# developers. So, if you have basic experience in F# programming and developing performance-critical applications, then this book is for you.

What you will learn

  • Acquire the practical knowledge to use the main functional design patterns
  • Realign some imperative and object-oriented principles under the functional approach
  • Develop your confidence in building and combining first-order and higher-order functions
  • Learn to use core language pattern matching effectively
  • Make use of native F# algebraic data types in place of custom-built classes
  • Recognize and measure the difference in resource consumption between sequences and materialized data collections
  • Navigate and use F# Core libraries with ease by seeing patterns behind specific library functions
  • Master writing generic polymorphic code

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Nov 30, 2016
Length: 318 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781785884726
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Product Details

Publication date : Nov 30, 2016
Length: 318 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781785884726
Category :
Languages :

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Table of Contents

13 Chapters
1. Begin Thinking Functionally Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Dissecting F# Origins and Design Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Basic Functions Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Basic Pattern Matching Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Algebraic Data Types Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Sequences - The Core of Data Processing Patterns Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Advanced Techniques: Functions Revisited Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Data Crunching – Data Transformation Patterns Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. More Data Crunching Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
10. Type Augmentation and Generic Computations Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
11. F# Expert Techniques Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
12. F# and OOP Principles/Design Patterns Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
13. Troubleshooting Functional Code Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon Empty star icon 3.5
(4 Ratings)
5 star 50%
4 star 0%
3 star 0%
2 star 50%
1 star 0%
Fernando Saldanha Feb 16, 2017
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Great book. Delivers what it promises. Not for beginners.F# allows the programmer to write standard OO programs. The reader of this book will get a better understanding of F# (an functional programming languages in general), which will facilitate transitioning to a programming style that fully exploits the capabilities of the F# language. The language features are neatly classified and the role of each category is explained.Chapter 12 also contains an excellent discussion of the SOLID principles of OO programming and their counterparts (or lack thereof, not for lack of implementation, but for lack of need) in FP.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Richard Broida Dec 28, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
There are a lot of good F# books, but this is a great one to start with because it explains the concepts along with the syntax. You need the concepts both to use the language and to explain to your fellow programmers why they should use the language. There's a chapter on GOF-style patterns, but the book's scope is much more comprehensive that that.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Hugh W. Gleaves Aug 14, 2017
Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 2
I had high expectations for this book, being someone fairly new to F# and the functional discipline.Sadly it disappointed me as offering nothing beyond what most other F# books cover. There was too much emphasis on imperative programming, no significant coverage of computation expressions, it was also pretty obvious that the author knew his subject bud had written in poorly in English, a greater editorial presence here would have helped. Frankly it was money wasted since there was nothing in the book that isn't easily found elsewhere.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Talmage Mar 24, 2017
Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 2
Overall, the explanation of functional programming paradigms and techniques is solid. The biggest obstacle to adopting F# is not syntax or functions--which are the focuses of many books--but rather understanding how to think in new terms as a functional programmer. This book does a good job of teaching these techniques.My problem is that the proofreading is atrocious. First, the narrative sections have many grammatical issues and incorrect words (e.g. "seize" instead of "cease") which interrupt flow. Additionally, the spacing in the Kindle cloud version is often off, which can be a big problem in a language like F# in which whitespace matters.More glaring, however, is that the source code is incomplete. For example, in Chapter 6, the text states "Additional information for those of you who are eager to dig deeper is given in the Ch6_1.fsx script of this book's accompanying code, where the use of each of the library functions is illustrated by a brief code sample." In the first four sections (aggregation, generation, wrapping/type conversion, and appliers patterns), only a couple of functions are not illustrated. However for the final three sections (recombination, filter, and mapper patterns), NONE of the illustrations are present. NOT A SINGLE ONE of the 38 or so functions listed. Additionally, I wonder how complete and updated the list even is, considering the deprecated "Seq.nth" function is provided instead of the newer "Seq.item".In short, this book could have been really good, but it seems rushed and sloppy. If there were a good errata, I could make do. However, it is surprising to find that no errata yet exist on the book web page (at packthub.com). I'm considering returning the Kindle purchase for a refund. Hopefully a more polished version will emerge later.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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