Lecture Programming in haskell - Chapter 2: First Steps

Haskell, as a prominent functional programming language, offers a distinct paradigm for software development that prioritizes immutability and pure functions. Understanding its foundational elements is crucial for anyone venturing into this powerful linguistic landscape. This document, serving as a guide to the 'First Steps' in programming with Haskell, introduces the essential tools and basic interactions necessary to begin. It aims to demystify the initial setup and practical application of the Glasgow Haskell Compiler (GHC) and its interactive counterpart, GHCi, thereby providing a robust entry point for aspiring functional programmers.

Students, beginners in programming, or developers interested in learning the fundamentals of the Haskell functional programming language and its interactive environment.

This document outlines the fundamental 'First Steps' in programming with Haskell, focusing on practical interaction with its primary development environment. It begins by introducing the Glasgow Haskell Compiler (GHC), highlighting its role as the leading implementation of Haskell, comprising both a compiler and an interpreter. The interactive nature of GHCi is emphasized, illustrating its suitability for teaching, prototyping, and immediate expression evaluation. The content then demonstrates how to initiate GHCi and utilize it as a basic desktop calculator for simple numeric expressions. A significant portion is dedicated to the Standard Prelude, the extensive collection of built-in library functions. This section provides concrete examples of manipulating lists using functions like `head`, `tail`, `take`, `drop`, `length`, `sum`, `product`, concatenation (`++`), and `reverse`, showcasing Haskell's elegant approach to data structures. Finally, the document clarifies the unique syntax of function application and multiplication in Haskell, contrasting it with mathematical notation. This comprehensive overview of initial setup, interactive usage, and core library functions provides a solid foundation for engaging with Haskell's functional programming capabilities.