Functional Programming and Ruby

Pat Shaughnessy

Presented by: Pat Shaughnessy

@pat_shaughnessypatshaughnessy.net

Talk Synopsis

While Ruby is object oriented and imperative, it does have some features that allow for functional programming. In this talk we’ll compare Haskell, a functional programming language, with Ruby while exploring these common functional patterns: higher order functions, lazy evaluation, and memoization.

Along the way we’ll explore how Ruby works internally, find out whether it’s a true functional language, and zoom in to take a close look at Ruby 2.0’s implementation of the new “Enumerator::Lazy” feature.

Biography

Pat Shaughnessy is a Ruby developer working at a global management consulting firm. Pat also writes a blog about Ruby development at patshaughnessy.net, and just self-published an eBook on Ruby internals called Ruby Under a Microscope. Pat's articles and presentations have been featured multiple times on the Ruby Weekly newsletter, the Ruby5 podcast and the Ruby Show. When he's not at the keyword, Pat enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids. Pat is also a fluent Spanish speaker and travels frequently to Spain to visit his wife's family.