Time, identity, and transition in Clojure

I think I finally understand the atomicity of time in Clojure’s modeling of state. Function application constructs time in Clojure: there is the value of an identity before a function’s application, and there is the value of the identity after the application. The timeline of a program, as far as state is concerned, is not […]

3 languages

I need to clarify my interests. I keep getting calls from recruiters who want to hire me to do Perl or database management. So, I am trying out an experiment in self-analysis by describing my enthusiasms as they relate to specific programming languages. I am currently interested in the web software applications of Ruby, JavaScript, […]

On Ruby monkeypatching and Clojure’s protocols

I read an interesting article by Dave Fayram (kirindave) contrasting monkeypatching in Ruby with protocol extension in Clojure. The article compares two of my favorite languages, but I think it was unfortunate to present monkeypatching as the main way to “associate behavior and data in a flexible way.” In fact, Ruby has a number of […]

Some gems from RubyNation 2009

Nothing close to a complete review of all the quality talks I heard at RubyNation, the following is just a summary of cool things I learned about while attending. For other resources, and some of my own snarky comments, take a look at the Twitter Channel for the event: #rubynation TupleSpaces and Rinda Luc Castera […]

Caching, lazy sequences, and streams

On the Clojure Google group there’s been a good discussion about lazy sequences and streams. The exchange goes to some of the fundamentals of the language, but if I have a decent grip on the issues, it sounds as though Mark Engelberg is concerned about the inefficiency of caching the results of evaluating n elements […]

Implementing SICP-style streams in Clojure

Many people approaching a new language, particularly a new Lisp, often explore the new language by attempting to implement examples and exercises from canonical Lisp texts. Paul Graham’s On Lisp, Peter Siebel’s Practical Common Lisp, and Abelson and Sussman’s SICP are ususal suspects. I’m not going to attempt any large-scale “translation” of SICP into Clojure, […]

DC Clojure study group

Members of Fringe DC are organizing a Washington DC area study group around learning Clojure and hacking some righteous artifacts with it. The first meeting is Sunday, December 7, at 1PM at Chief Ike’s Mambo Room, 1725 Columbia Rd NW. We’ll be meeting in person for about 3 hours every 2 or 3 weeks, and […]