35 lines
1.7 KiB
Plaintext
35 lines
1.7 KiB
Plaintext
[/==============================================================================
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Copyright (C) 2001-2010 Joel de Guzman
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Copyright (C) 2001-2005 Dan Marsden
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Copyright (C) 2001-2010 Thomas Heller
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Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
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file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
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===============================================================================/]
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[section Introduction]
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[$images/banner.png]
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The Phoenix library enables FP techniques such as higher order functions,
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/lambda/ (unnamed functions), /currying/ (partial function application) and lazy
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evaluation in C++. The focus is more on usefulness and practicality than purity,
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elegance and strict adherence to FP principles.
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FP is a programming discipline that is not at all tied to a specific language.
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FP as a programming discipline can, in fact, be applied to many programming
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languages. In the realm of C++ for instance, we are seeing more FP techniques
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being applied. C++ is sufficiently rich to support at least some of the most
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important facets of FP. C++ is a multiparadigm programming language. It is not
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only procedural. It is not only object oriented. Beneath the core of the
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standard C++ library, a closer look into STL gives us a glimpse of FP already in
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place. It is obvious that the authors of STL know and practice FP. In the near
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future, we shall surely see more FP trickle down into the mainstream.
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The truth is, most of the FP techniques can coexist quite well with the standard
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object oriented and imperative programming paradigms. When we are using STL
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algorithms and functors (function objects) for example, we are already doing FP.
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Phoenix is an evolutionary next step.
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[endsect]
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