[Haskell-beginners] Sidebar to variables

[Duke Normandin]

On Sat, 25 Jul 2009, Thomas Davie wrote:

>
> On 25 Jul 2009, at 15:42, Duke Normandin wrote:
>
> > My recent questions concerning "variables" spawned this observation:
> >
> > I take it that programming a solution using a functional language like
> > Haskell is really about "linking" a series of functions from which a
> > solution is derived.
> >
> > It seems to me that this approach would naturally encourage the use of
> > the "bottom-up" method of program development. I mean, breaking the
> > task down to the smallest possible segments, and then writing a function
> > for each segment. Refactoring the task until the smallest segments are
> > achieved. Very much like what I learned about programming in Forth (they
> > use the term "words" to mean "function")
> >
> > Am I on the right track here, in my view of the "Haskell approach" to
> > programming solutions?
>
> I'm not sure -- bottom up is certainly something useful, but top down can
> still be done.  I often write programs like this:
>
> bigFunction :: a -> b -> c
> bigFunction = undefined
>
> <thinks>
>
> bigFunction x = smallerFunction . otherFunction x . anotherFunction
>
> smallerFunction :: a -> b
> smallerFunction = undefined
>
> otherFunction :: a -> b -> c
> otherFunction = undefined
>
> anotherFunction :: a -> b
> anotherFunction = undefined
>
> <thinks>
>
> (repeat the process until no more undefineds)
>
> Bob

Hey Bob....

I think you are describing what is usually referred to as refactoring. ;)
-- 
duke