Erlang article #1 on programming.reddit.com

[Joe Armstrong (TN/EAB)]

You can't write many programs without loops, I use 'em all the time:

Most programs look like this:

	loop(State) ->
	    receive
		 {From, Q} ->
		     {Reply, State1} = F(Q, State),
		      From ! {self(), Reply},
	            loop(State1)
	    end.


In often define:	

	for(Max, Max, F) -> [F(Max)];
	for(I,   Max, F) -> [F(I)|F(I+1,Max,F].

The word "loop" in the context of a function programming language is
usually taken to mean - "a tail recursive function" - basically
I call any function that can recurse forever without consuming stack a
loop.

 

 
/Joe


> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-erlang-questions@REDACTED 
> [mailto:owner-erlang-questions@REDACTED] On Behalf Of Logan, Martin
> Sent: den 17 augusti 2006 21:37
> To: Ryan Rawson; Joel Reymont
> Cc: Yariv Sadan; erlangquestions
> Subject: RE: Erlang article #1 on programming.reddit.com
> 
> You are scaring me, who is talking of adding loops.  I will 
> stop using Erlang if I see a for loop :-) No more single 
> assignment? That would make Erlang rather messy.  Plus 
> function clauses and recursion + loops inside function 
> clauses themselves will greatly increase the cognative load 
> imposed upon anyone trying to understand Erlang code.  One of 
> the greatest things about Erlang is that after a few months 
> of coding it you can dive into the kernel, read code, and 
> understand what you are reading
> - try doing that with Java, damn, try doing that with any 
> OO/procedural language. 
> 
> Martin
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-erlang-questions@REDACTED
> [mailto:owner-erlang-questions@REDACTED] On Behalf Of Ryan Rawson
> Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2006 1:30 PM
> To: Joel Reymont
> Cc: Yariv Sadan; erlangquestions
> Subject: Re: Erlang article #1 on programming.reddit.com
> 
> Surely you jest?
> 
> You'd have to break Erlang to insert loops.  First off you'd 
> have variables that need to be changed.  That substantiably 
> breaks Erlang imho.
> 
> If you want to loop, you probably want to map or fold.  If 
> you need to loop you might want to use gen_server instead, or 
> at the last resort use a tail recursive call.
> 
> 
> 
> On 8/17/06, Joel Reymont <joelr1@REDACTED> wrote:
> >
> > On Aug 17, 2006, at 5:53 PM, Ryan Rawson wrote:
> >
> > > I beg of all of you - no for loops.  No looping of any kind!
> >
> > What's wrong with looping?
> >
> > --
> > http://wagerlabs.com/
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>