[Haskell-cafe] Haskell Weekly News: Issue 214

Thu Feb 9 04:43:51 CET 2012

Welcome to issue 214 the HWN, a newsletter covering stories, questions,
and remarks seen around the web during the week of January 29 to
February 4, 2012.

You can find the HTML version at:
http://contemplatecode.blogspot.com/2012/02/haskell-weekly-news-issue-214.html

Quotes of the Week

   * Jafet: [on memoising an O(n) algorithm:] This is like trying to
     save work in a police investigation by having each detective
     determine whether another detective has already removed all
     evidence from his area by walking through it to search for evidence
     in the area.

   * CodeWeaver: keep in mind encryption's only as good as how much you
     trust that the implementors got it right.

   * cmccann: length [1..10^20]
     lambdabot: mueval-core: Time limit exceeded
     cmccann: looks like 10^20 is infinity

   * elliott: race condition waiting to happen

   * elliott: o'reilly publishes attoparsec tutorial: exactly the same
     as their parsec tutorial, but 10^-18th the size

   * rwbarton: Num works for Float/Double, it's Float/Double that
     doesn't work for Num

   * ddarius: Space isn't that big.

   * Brent Yorgey:
     > Sometimes, I suspect that Haskell not only makes easier of the hard
     > things for imperative programming languages but also makes harder of
     > some easy things.

     This is true.  But usually these are things that you don't *want* to
     be easy, like shooting yourself in the kidney. (But these features are
     often described in ways that make them sound great, like "flexible
     usage of bullet-placement tools".)  Inserting arbitrary print
     statements into the middle of some code is difficult for a reason.

Top Reddit Stories

   * GHC 7.4.1 is out. Here's the release notes
     Domain: haskell.org, Score: 107, Comments: 59
     On Reddit: [1] http://goo.gl/su4jl
     Original:  [2] http://goo.gl/Nstve

   * Coming soon, to a bookstore near you
     Domain: yesodweb.com, Score: 82, Comments: 16
     On Reddit: [3] http://goo.gl/6gZXg
     Original:  [4] http://goo.gl/zSW1l

   * ImplicitCAD is a Programmatic CAD Tool/3D Modelling Engine in Haskell.
     Also my first big Haskell project. Feedback, advice?
     Domain: github.com, Score: 63, Comments: 23
     On Reddit: [5] http://goo.gl/YHMRa
     Original:  [6] http://goo.gl/39rc3

   * Using monadic effects to reverse a merge sort
     Domain: github.com, Score: 42, Comments: 4
     On Reddit: [7] http://goo.gl/dVuyp
     Original:  [8] http://goo.gl/jL9qj

   * Exciting changes coming to conduit 0.2
     Domain: yesodweb.com, Score: 38, Comments: 7
     On Reddit: [9] http://goo.gl/neyW2
     Original: [10] http://goo.gl/1ikN5

   * Vectorisation without Replication in Data Parallel Haskell
     Domain: disciple-devel.blogspot.com, Score: 35, Comments: 4
     On Reddit: [11] http://goo.gl/iJ4OD
     Original:  [12] http://goo.gl/uMp4S

   * If software purity in functional languages is such an awesome idea,
why are
     we still writing Python, Ruby or Java?
     Domain: self.haskell, Score: 33, Comments: 136
     On Reddit: [13] http://goo.gl/F0QCY
     Original:  [14] http://goo.gl/F0QCY

   * Released Data.Array.Accelerate 0.9.0.0 — the Haskell array library for
GPUs
     Domain: justtesting.org, Score: 32, Comments: 3
     On Reddit: [15] http://goo.gl/NqUwp
     Original:  [16] http://goo.gl/JYTQ4

   * Fun With -XPolyKinds : Polykinded Folds
     Domain: typesandotherdistractions.com, Score: 24, Comments: 1
     On Reddit: [17] http://goo.gl/daxL8
     Original:  [18] http://goo.gl/u9gHi

   * Introduction to using acid-state, IxSet and data-lens as a native
Haskell,
     noSQL, RAM-cloud database
     Domain: happstack.com, Score: 23, Comments: 21
     On Reddit: [19] http://goo.gl/9bliO
     Original:  [20] http://goo.gl/ZGXyW

   * Can't wait for the Haskell Platform? -- Compiling GHC 7.4.1 from
source has
     never been easier.
     Domain: blog.jasonknight.us, Score: 21, Comments: 8
     On Reddit: [21] http://goo.gl/IKjm6
     Original:  [22] http://goo.gl/dgMF2

   * Generating random functions
     Domain: mainisusuallyafunction.blogspot.com, Score: 20, Comments: 6
     On Reddit: [23] http://goo.gl/DB4f6
     Original:  [24] http://goo.gl/aOAPo

   * How to deal with undesired values when designing types
     Domain: self.haskell, Score: 19, Comments: 28
     On Reddit: [25] http://goo.gl/aPCbQ
     Original:  [26] http://goo.gl/aPCbQ

   * Guarded Pipes or How to write Conduit.List Combinators in Pipes.
     Domain: pcapriotti.wordpress.com, Score: 17, Comments: 16
     On Reddit: [27] http://goo.gl/vo8ip
     Original:  [28] http://goo.gl/mhnfH

   * UHC JavaScript Backend Project Page (Work in Progress)
     Domain: uu-computerscience.github.com, Score: 16, Comments: 0
     On Reddit: [29] http://goo.gl/42xXs
     Original:  [30] http://goo.gl/Cz8R6

Top StackOverflow Questions

   * What are the rules about concurrently accessing a persistent database
     votes: 17, answers: 1
     Read on SO: [31] http://goo.gl/m3QhB

   * Functions don't just have types: They ARE Types. And Kinds. And Sorts.
Help
     put a blown mind back together
     votes: 15, answers: 2
     Read on SO: [32] http://goo.gl/fKjQR

   * Defining polymorphic constants in Haskell
     votes: 12, answers: 2
     Read on SO: [33] http://goo.gl/3H3ke

   * Do guarded pipes behave the same as pipes using await?
     votes: 12, answers: 2
     Read on SO: [34] http://goo.gl/Mf3HQ

   * What is the purpose of the IdentityT transformer?
     votes: 11, answers: 2
     Read on SO: [35] http://goo.gl/L7Syk

   * call/cc implementation?
     votes: 10, answers: 5
     Read on SO: [36] http://goo.gl/tfLLz

   * Understanding bind function in Haskell
     votes: 9, answers: 4
     Read on SO: [37] http://goo.gl/amtSd

   * How to show that a monad is a functor and an applicative functor?
     votes: 8, answers: 2
     Read on SO: [38] http://goo.gl/Cg0EQ

   * Avoiding lift with Monad Transformers
     votes: 7, answers: 2
     Read on SO: [39] http://goo.gl/fBhCz

   * Container element types
     votes: 7, answers: 1
     Read on SO: [40] http://goo.gl/UfZnG

Until next time,
Daniel Santa Cruz

References

   1.
http://www.haskell.org/ghc/docs/7.4.1/html/users_guide/release-7-4-1.html
   2.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/p886g/ghc_741_is_out_heres_the_release_notes/
   3. http://www.yesodweb.com/blog/2012/01/coming-soon
   4.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/p4hpt/coming_soon_to_a_bookstore_near_you/
   5. https://github.com/colah/ImplicitCAD
   6.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/p9jzh/implicitcad_is_a_programmatic_cad_tool3d/
   7.
https://github.com/DanBurton/Blog/blob/master/Literate%20Haskell/recovery.lhs
   8.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/p2kar/using_monadic_effects_to_reverse_a_merge_sort/
   9. http://www.yesodweb.com/blog/2012/01/conduit-changes-0-2
  10.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/p1iu0/exciting_changes_coming_to_conduit_02/
  11.
http://disciple-devel.blogspot.com/2012/02/vectorisation-without-replication-in.html
  12.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/p7f6u/vectorisation_without_replication_in_data/
  13.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/pavb1/if_software_purity_in_functional_languages_is/
  14.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/pavb1/if_software_purity_in_functional_languages_is/
  15. http://justtesting.org/released-dataarrayaccelerate-0900-the-haskell
  16.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/p5sij/released_dataarrayaccelerate_0900_the_haskell/
  17.
http://www.typesandotherdistractions.com/2012/02/fun-with-xpolykinds-polykinded-folds.html
  18.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/p8djh/fun_with_xpolykinds_polykinded_folds/
  19. http://www.happstack.com/docs/crashcourse/AcidState.html
  20.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/p75ko/introduction_to_using_acidstate_ixset_and/
  21.
http://blog.jasonknight.us/2012/02/how-to-install-ghc-741-in-ubuntu-from.html
  22.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/pabfi/cant_wait_for_the_haskell_platform_compiling_ghc/
  23.
http://mainisusuallyafunction.blogspot.com/2012/02/generating-random-functions.html
  24.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/p89fq/generating_random_functions/
  25.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/p5lv0/how_to_deal_with_undesired_values_when_designing/
  26.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/p5lv0/how_to_deal_with_undesired_values_when_designing/
  27.
http://pcapriotti.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/an-introduction-to-guarded-pipes/
  28.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/p8g55/guarded_pipes_or_how_to_write_conduitlist/
  29. http://uu-computerscience.github.com/uhc-js/
  30.
http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/p1nqh/uhc_javascript_backend_project_page_work_in/
  31.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9055214/what-are-the-rules-about-concurrently-accessing-a-persistent-database
  32.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9074261/functions-dont-just-have-types-they-are-types-and-kinds-and-sorts-help-put
  33.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9088821/defining-polymorphic-constants-in-haskell
  34.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9145656/do-guarded-pipes-behave-the-same-as-pipes-using-await
  35.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9122825/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-identityt-transformer
  36. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9050725/call-cc-implementation
  37.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9074284/understanding-bind-function-in-haskell
  38.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9098247/how-to-show-that-a-monad-is-a-functor-and-an-applicative-functor
  39.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9054731/avoiding-lift-with-monad-transformers
  40. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9078168/container-element-types
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