Why I still reach for Lisp and Scheme instead of Haskell
14 hours ago
- #Functional Programming
- #Developer Experience
- #Programming Languages
- The author appreciates Haskell's innovative type system and mathematical concepts but finds it resistant to quick, pragmatic hacking.
- Scheme (and Lisp) offers a balance of flexibility and functional beauty, making it more practical for rapid prototyping and human-centric development.
- Haskell's heavy abstractions, like monads, can complicate simple tasks and add cognitive load, while Scheme allows for easy debugging with immediate feedback.
- Haskell's DSL approach leads to inconsistent syntax across libraries, requiring significant learning, whereas Scheme's simplicity and macros enable flexible language reshaping.
- Lisp REPLs provide an interactive workflow with incremental development, powerful debugging, and seamless editor integration, enhancing productivity and developer experience.