Functional JavaScript

What Hacker News says

1. sibeliussJan 2023
   For me, I had a true programmer enlightenment moment after reading "Functional JavaScript" by Michael Fogus. Seriously, my whole career changed after that and I was in much greater control over my code and everything got simpler. People always talk about books changing their lives and this really changed mine!

   The other one for me was when I started reading OSS codebases on Github. Meaning, if I needed to use a library, I would read the source first. That brought me a lot of confidence and allowed me to see how others put things together.

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2. adt2btAug 2019
   I've always liked Learn you a Haskell, but it's a trip to get through and you may need to re-read it a few times for things to stick.

   Another helpful one is Functional Javascript. It showed me a new, better, way to write my JS code.

   I found it can be easier on your mind when you pick it up almost like vim. First you learn how to move around with hjkl (perhaps a functional equivalent is using .map() and .filter() instead of for loops), then you navigate by lexical concepts with w, e, $, %, etc (maybe using .zip()), then build macros with @ (currying), etc. Each step you learn and use regularly helps when stretching your brain to pick up more. You definitely don't need to rewrite everything in a functional way to take advantage of it.

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3. strawsJul 2017
   React is full of declarative code. Something I'd recommend whole-heartedly is Michael Fogus' Functional Javascript book. It shares a lot in common with POODR in that it's conscious of why functional techniques are useful and how to think in a data-oriented way. The book is self-aware of the beginner's mindset in absorbing that information and is very well-layered.

   Personally, I feel the best way to learn is by experience and by exposure. By seeing similar code in different contexts, you can learn why React programs tend to rely on certain patterns. To that end, working through something like How To Design Worlds (http://world.cs.brown.edu/1/) or the Elm guide (https://guide.elm-lang.org/) will give you points of comparison that will help you better articulate what you decide to do in React.

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4. matthewvincentMar 2017
   I'd say JS essential reading would be:

   1. JavaScript the good parts - because classic

   2. You don't know JS series - because depth

   3. Functional JavaScript - because underscore

   Then you're done. Go find a Node or front end framework tutorial and blast off from there. Build build build.

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5. cpdeanJan 2016
   If you want to learn foundational FP topics but don't have the time to commit to learning a whole new ecosystem, I really recommend Fogus's Functional Javascript: http://www.amazon.com/Functional-JavaScript-Introducing-Prog...

   I know that JS isn't the same thing as Clojure but the ideas in this book work with really any language. After reading this book I'm a better Python programmer.

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6. clark-kentSep 2015
   "Eloquent JavaScript: A Modern Introduction to Programming"

   "Functional JavaScript: Introducing Functional Programming with Underscore.js"

   "Professional JavaScript for Web Developers"

   [edited to add more books]

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