You Don't Need Monads
17 days ago
- #monads
- #functional programming
- #natural transformations
- The text discusses the concept of monads, emphasizing that they are overrated and can be broken down into simpler components.
- Monads are described as functors with two natural transformations (η and μ) and a coherence condition.
- An example using the Maybe monad illustrates how these transformations work in practice.
- The text clarifies that monads of the same type can be composed, but composing different monads requires special templates like monad transformers.
- In the language discussed (possibly ��), jointed effects are used instead of monad transformers, allowing binding of effects of different types without lifting.
- The author advocates for moving away from the term 'monad' and instead focusing on natural transformations and functors for more flexible and open interfaces.
- The idea is to use natural transformations to combine layers of different functors, providing a more modular approach to handling effects.