[Haskell-cafe] ANNOUNCE: Sifflet 2.3.0 - recursion learning aid / visual programming language

[gdweber at iue.edu]

Sifflet 2.3.0 is now available on Hackage.

This release brings Sifflet up to date, so it compiles with GHC 7.10.3,
newer versions of depended-on libraries, and builds in a cabal sandbox.

Sifflet is the visual, functional programming language and support
system for students learning about recursion.  Sifflet programmers
define functions by drawing diagrams, and the Sifflet interpreter uses
the diagrams to show how function calls are evaluated.

The Sifflet library (formerly sifflet-lib package) is reintegrated
into, and deprecated in favor of, the sifflet package.

A test suite is added.

Personal Note
-------------

It's been about 18 months since I've been able to work on this project
or do any serious Haskell development.  A lot has changed in the
Haskell world -- a lot of catching up to do!  It feels good getting
back to Haskell again.

About Sifflet
-------------

Sifflet is a visual, functional programming language
intended as an aid for learning about recursion.

*   A picture explains Sifflet better than words:
    please see the screenshot showing how to evaluate 3!:
    http://pages.iu.edu/~gdweber/software/sifflet/home.html

*   Features:
    -   Visual editor.
    -   Visual tracer/debugger which shows how recursive and
        other function calls are evaluated.  To support active learning
        and avoid screen clutter, Sifflet displays only
        as much of the computation as the user requests.
    -   Carefully crafted tutorial with 44 pictures,
        about 26 pages if printed.
    -   Number, string, and list data types.
    -   Small collection of primitive functions.
    -   Runnable examples of compound functions.
    -   Sifflet functions can be exported to Scheme, Python 3, and Haskell.

References
----------

*   Download:
    http://hackage.haskell.org/package/sifflet

*   Home page:
    http://pages.iu.edu/~gdweber/software/sifflet/home.html

*   Sifflet Tutorial:
    http://pages.iu.edu/~gdweber/software/sifflet/doc/tutorial.html

*   Change log:
    http://pages.iu.edu/~gdweber/software/sifflet/ChangeLog.html

-- 
Gregory D. Weber, Ph. D.                  http://pages.iu.edu/~gdweber/
Associate Professor of Informatics        Tel (765) 973-8420
Indiana University East                   FAX (765) 973-8550