Is Haskell easy to learn?

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Are you interested in learning Haskell? Well, do not get discouraged. It’s a good course you are opting for! There are rumours (as I consider them) going around that Haskell is complex and difficult to learn and that it is meant for geniuses.
This is false! Haskell, as a programming language, is quite simple to learn.

You only need to dedicate some time and get yourself a tutor or go through some tutorial videos on YouTube, and there you are. Begin with the simplest introduction videos from different and highly experienced contributors.

This will pique your interest in the language to another level. You understand learning begins from the simplest concepts gradually to the most complex concepts, just like in any other case. For example, when you were young, and you could not walk stably, you learned to coordinate your legs gradually step by step, and right now, you can guide others on the same process. That’s it.
According to most programmers, the only difficulty with Haskell is output or input processing, but they recommend it as the best programming language without many complexities.
Generally, as a programming language, Haskell is fit to be used to do anything that it fits just like other languages in the world. Your creativity and wide scope of imagination are a lot here.
You will have to be creative to come up with something unique to do with the language or maybe use it for normal computer programming, but what will differentiate you from the rest?

Consider that. Haskell is a functional language and can be used in different ways, including; salutation or greeting, giving instructions or bits of advice or explaining a set of rules, agreeing or disagreeing, giving apologies, and many other situations and expressions.
It is though limited in accomplishing some tasks, just like is the case with other languages.

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Is Haskell easy to learn
Is Haskell easy to learn

How Long Does It Take to Learn Haskell?                                                        

Now, this is a question I know you are so much interested in. You want to actually know how long it might take you to learn Haskell. 

This is driven by the urge for you to know the language and probably get going with your programming work. Awesome. Haskell is a unique programming language and throughout the learning process, trust me; you will be learning distinctively new concepts from your first day. 

It might be hard in the beginning, more so if you’ve been using other programming languages, but it will probably get better and better as you continue with the process. Depending on your learning speed, it may take an average learner about two or three months to grasp the basic concepts of Haskell. 

This doesn’t mean that you might not take less or more than that time. It is probably possible to take an even longer time since here, you will be dealing with exceptionally new and unique concepts. 

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To learn Haskell, there are several books authored by experienced people who have a vast knowledge of the Haskell language. Apart from the hard copy books, you can as well access soft copy books in the online libraries or decide to attend online classes to equip you with the required knowledge on Haskell. 

Another alternative is you can try is to browse through the tutorial videos that are readily available on YouTube for different levels of learning or other relevant sources that are within your reach. 

I advise you to take your time and do not be driven by the pressure to begin programming. Learn the concepts step by step at your own pace. You have all the time. You won’t ever regret learning Haskell once you begin programming. 

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Is Haskell Harder Than C++?

 

Now, this is a pretty challenging question for most programmers, and the reason is, every programmer has a different preference when it comes to a programming language. The languages are so many, and everyone goes for whatever is best for them. 

Depending on your experience with a specific programming language, you can settle on one that works best for you. More so if it meets your programming needs. Lack of understanding of the various programming languages also contributes to bias when endorsing a specific programming language as the best over another. 

To avoid such biases, it is advisable to, first of all, understand what you are doing and why you are doing it since this is what programming is all about. The language you choose for your programming project is simply a lead to the results. 

You are not likely to get much out of your programming project if you keep on switching programming languages. From my experience with both Haskell and C++, I can confidently deduce that C++ is a harder programming language than Haskell. 

C++ programming language involves a lot of complexities, and to add to that, you will be using all the complex patterns and aspects of the C++ programming language nearly all the time as you carry on with your programming process. Sounds complicated, right? It is. 

Haskell, as a computer programming language, is therefore much easier and simpler to learn and use than the C++ programming language. It doesn’t involve many complicated patterns, and in terms of speed, Haskell again beats C++. It has a much faster speed and processes faster than C++ too. 

This answers the question of which one is harder than the other after comparing them based on different aspects of each. Some computer programmers, though, will argue otherwise, but still, it will depend on the point of reasoning or rather the reasons that they will give behind their point of view.

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What Is Haskell Used For?

 

Before you get into learning the Haskell programming language or maybe getting to know much about it, you will probably have to ask yourself a set of questions, and among them should be what Haskell programming language is used for. 

Yeah, asking yourself such questions will only justify that you are on the right path, and you probably don’t want to get into something you seldom understand. It sounds cool. Getting to know what the Haskell language is used for helps you to understand it better. 

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The Haskell programming language is a language or rather simply a tool that is used by computer programmers. It has a wide range of uses, just to list them;

  • Rapid application development.
  • Making small domain-specific languages
  • Processing of huge amounts of data
  • Development of web
  • Creating web spiders
  • Performing testing of applications
  • Coming up with or writing administration and backend scripts
  • Monitoring written scripts

It successfully performs all of these functions because it is a standardized and general-purpose programming language that is purely functional and with non-strict semantics and strong static typing. 

You may ask yourself why Haskell performs all these tasks. That would be quite a brainstorm. Apparently, Haskell’s programming language was created with one main goal or objective, which was to consolidate all existing functional programming languages into a single programming language such that as a computer programmer, you don’t have to learn all the functional programming languages. 

This made work a lot easier. Nowadays, programmers learn a single programming language, Haskell, and there you are with everything you need to get rolling with your work or projects.

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Is Haskell Popular?   

 

People are obsessed with looking for and going with the most popular products on the market. Popular products are considered the best. Popularity, though, is always considered in cases where there are substitute products. Just like in any other field, programming too has a wide range of languages that have been developed, and they keep evolving from day to day. 

Programming languages are improved and developed as technology advances. Talking about the popularity of the Haskell programming language, let’s take a deep look at it and see how popular it is and whether it’s overpowered by other programming languages. I hope you are aware that approximately 700 functional programming languages do exist. 

First of all, the Haskell programming language is as old as 31 years. Sources have it that this programming language was created 31 years ago, that is, way back n 1990. At this point, it wasn’t stable. The stable version of the Haskell programming language was released 20 years later, and that is in the year 2010. Quite a commendable work there by the developers. 

Last year, 2020, a preview of the Haskell programming language was released. This is a young programming language considering that the first functional programming language was created in the year 1958 and which is still being used to this day by programmers. 

Currently, the Haskell programming language is ranked 28th among the approximately 700 existing functional programming languages. That is quite competitive, and predictions reveal that the Haskell programming language may rise to the top 10 most popular functional programming languages in the next few years since there are tremendous efforts being noticed by the developers of the programming language. 

According to Google, searches related to Haskell programming language make up less than 1% of active users.

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Is Haskell Worth Learning?                                                                      

Give it a go, be an expert in computer programming, improve your programming skills with Haskell programming language and experience the best version of yourself as a programmer. 

You’ve been asking yourself if this programming language, Haskell programming language, is worth learning. You will have the answers to this question right here once and for all. Learning never stops at any point, right? And grasping new concepts is a value mostly applied by those who end up successful in life. 

Bill Gates will help me spread this gospel. Just like in any other field, programming requires a lot of learning of new concepts every now and then, as well as advancing in the already learned concepts. Haskell’s programming language is not left out in this. 

Of course, it has interesting qualities that are worth learning. In fact, computer programmers who want to learn languages that teach them the most and push them to be better programmers do choose the Haskell programming language as their primary choice. Previews from computer programmers show that Haskell as a tool or functional language for computer programming challenges them to learn it with a lot of keenness since it has a lot of new interesting concepts and qualities that they are looking for. 

However, there are discussions that the Haskell programming language is not worth learning. You intend to learn it purposefully to use it in a job. Instead, for such a case, there are other programming languages that are recommended, including Java, Python, and C++.

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Haskell Vs. Python

 

Do you have problems choosing which way to go? Do you have problems settling on either Haskell or Python as your programming language? 

Join me in this article as we take a deep look into the two programming languages so that in the end, you can settle on one based on the qualities that you feel will probably suit your needs. 

It has been a topic for a long time, and still, it is a topic influencing a lot of debates among computer programmers, but this is because people are definitely looking for different things. 

Comparing these two programming languages, Haskell and Python, you need to be open-minded and rational because their difference if there is any, will depend on you and what you want. We will look at six aspects of comparison, that is;

  • Programming Language type.

Haskell and Python vary widely in language type even though they are both functional. Looking at their functionality, Haskell is a purely functional language, whereas; Python is object-oriented and a combination of procedural and functional languages. 

Therefore, it is a fact that Python is more of a procedural language type, whereas Haskell is a pure functional language. Python contains features of other programming languages such as Java and C++, and some of these features include parametric polymorphism and ad-hoc polymorphism. 

Python lacks some important aspects that make it unsuitable for some functions. One of the things it misses out on is optimization.

  • The popularity of both Haskell and Python programming languages.

After interacting with several programmers, they are more at home with the Python programming language than they are with Haskell. 

 

This proves to undoubtedly that Python is more popular than Haskell, more so in the business aspect of programming. They say it is easy to learn as much as Haskell programming language is more modernized and fits easily in most applications in the world, and this is not only a positive compliment but a drive that makes Haskell become well known too.

  • Libraries for both of them

Programming languages depend on libraries as these dictate how easy a programming language is over another. Python being much older and easier to learn than Haskell, it has a stable library, and most learners or computer programming beginners are advised to learn Python first before proceeding to learn Haskell. 

 

Learning the two languages is quite a great step and can get you on another level in your programming career.

  • Typing experience with both of them

Typing is a key aspect of programming languages. In some programming languages such as Python, typing is a secondary consideration, while, in Haskell, typing is fundamental. The difference in typing of the two languages is that Haskell is static while Python is dynamic.

  • The difference in speed. 

Both Haskell and Python are considered languages of a higher level. However, Haskell has a higher speed compared to Python. The reason behind this is because Haskell comprises native code compilers, which are optimized to be faster, while Python is an interpreted language and lacks optimization. 

 

This gives the reasons why the Haskell programming language is popular in the corporate world than Python.

 

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Best Way to Learn Haskell                                                                             

You are just getting closer to becoming a pro in one of the most recognized computer programming languages in the world, the Haskell programming language. 

The decision to learn Haskell today is a great step towards joining millions of computer programmers who are already using it as they continue with their computer programming activities. 

Getting you the skills to work with this programing language depends on our efforts. You will have to create a lot of time since some of the concepts are hard and unique to Haskell. 

In other words, prepare to meet various new concepts that you had never interacted with  before. Learning Haskell entirely depends on you. There is really no one specific best way of learning the Haskell programming language. 

There are, though, so many different ways and approaches that programmers have successfully used or applied to learn Haskell and improve their programming career. You can learn Haskell both online through virtual learning and physically, hands-on. 

The choice of learning approach that best suits you will depend on your availability for the learning sessions as well as the availability of learning materials. For example, virtually, you will need a stable Internet connection as well as a computer for you to access the learning materials and attend all the scheduled sessions, while for hands-on learning, you must avail yourself at the learning station and the instruction from your instructor physically. 

Consider your schedule and plan for the most effective way for you to learn the Haskell programming language. You can as well install the Haskell application on your smartphone or PC and get going with the steps.

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Learn Haskell Online                                             

Are you looking for an online platform to learn the Haskell programming language? You have probably decided to give it a go? It is a wise decision that you just made. 

I will show you how to go through or how to learn Haskell online. So many people consider this meaningless and mediocre. That is not the case. In everything you do, you will always need dedication and self-motivation. 

Since Haskell contains so many new and unique concepts, and that is a fact, you will need all the time and keenness for you to grasp the concepts. For you to learn particularly online, you will need more time and other online learning materials, for example, an Internet connection, a computer, and maybe a notebook that you will use to take short notes. 

Some of the most promising online platforms that courses on Haskell programming language include; Google free learning, Udemy online learning platform, Coursera free online courses, Skillshare, LinkedIn learning platform, Google classroom, and Shaw academy. 

Visit these sites and get your most preferred one, then get started with your online learning process. One thing about these platforms is that they offer valid and accredited certifications for completed courses, though the certificates are not available for all courses. 

Some of the sites may charge a small fee, while others may offer the courses free of charge. You should, however, know that most of the free courses do not have certifications upon completion. 

All you need to do is to sign up with your online learning platform of interest to have an account with them, then register or book classes and get on with learning Haskell.

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Haskell Tutorial                                                           

Are you a newbie in using the Haskell programming language? Would you wish to get started or advance your skills in using Haskell? 

We have answers for you. There are so many approaches towards getting to learn the concepts involved in Haskell. The approaches are not limited to following guides from tutorials by experienced computer programmers as well as developers of the programming language. 

Tutorials have proved to be most effective since you won’t be missing out on anything provided it is covered in the video. You can play and follow the tutorial videos as many times as you wish until you feel most comfortable and confident enough to begin working with the programming language. Tutorial videos on how to go about the Haskell programming language are available on online learning platforms such as Udemy as well as on YouTube. You need to sign up or create accounts with the online learning platforms before you have access to the tutorials. 

If you already signed up, just log in and access the tutorials. In case you can download them or save them to view offline, that would be the best thing to do as it will save you on internet charges.

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Luis Gillman
Luis Gillman

Hi, I Am Luis Gillman CA (SA), ACMA
I am a Chartered Accountant (SA) and CIMA (SA) and author of Due Diligence: A strategic and Financial Approach.

The book was published by Lexis Nexis on 2001. In 2010, I wrote the second edition. Much of this website is derived from these two books.

In addition I have published an article entitled the Link Between Due Diligence and Valautions.

Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information published on this website is accurate, the author and owners of this website take no responsibility  for any loss or damage suffered as a result of relience upon the information contained therein.  Furthermore the bulk of the information is derived from information in 2018 and use therefore is at your on risk. In addition you should consult professional advice if required.