[plt-scheme] Vancouver Lisp Users Group meeting for March 2009 - Haskell for Lisp Programmers

Hi all,

Haskell is a polymorphically statically typed, lazy, purely functional
language based on the lambda calculus. As such, it shares some things
in common with some dialects of Lisp but differs in other regards. Our
March lispvan speaker will present an introduction to Haskell geared
towards Lisp programmers. If you want to read up about Haskell before
the meeting, a good starting point is the Haskell Wiki.

Here's the "official" meeting notice:

Topic: Haskell for Lisp Programmers
Presenter: Erik Charlebois
Date: Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
Time: 7pm - 10pm (or whenever)
Venue: The Hackery, 304 Victoria Dr (entrance off Franklin), Vancouver (see map)
Summary: Haskell is a lazy, pure, statically-typed functional
programming language enjoying a lot of attention these days. Its
strict approach to side effects is seen as one of the viable
approaches to making parallel programming tractable.

Erik will talk about the core differences between Haskell and Lisp,
the actions the Haskell community is taking to manage this growth, and
some neat applications of the language already in the wild.

* Differences between Haskell and Lisp
  * Syntax
  * Static typing
  * Side effects with monads
* The Haskell Platform
  * Build, Package, Distribute
  * Community
* Haskell Dog and Pony Show

Bio: Erik was a compiler developer for 3 years at IBM working on the
XL Fortran and C/C++ compilers for the Cell processor. He is currently
employed at Slant Six Games doing gameplay programming. For the past 2
years, he has been studying programming languages and databases in a
search for smarter ways to build soft real-time applications like
games.

If possible, I will record the presentation and post it on my blog
after the meeting for those who are unable to attend. Join us for a
beer (bring your own - there's a fridge) and a chance to learn what
static typing and monads are all about!

Any updates will be posted on my blog entry for the meeting:
http://bc.tech.coop/blog/090223.html

--
Bill Clementson