The Python Podcast.__init__: Functional Python with Matthew Rocklin and Alexander Schepanovsky

About this Episode

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Summary

What is functional programming, why would you want to use it, and how can you get started with it in Python? Our guests this week, Matthew Rocklin and Alexander Schepanovsky, help us understand all of that and more. Matthew and Alexander have each created their own Python libraries to make it easier to employ functional paradigms in your Python code. In this episode they help us understand the benefits that functional styles can have and the benefits that can be realized by trying them out for yourself.

Brief Introduction

Hello and welcome to Podcast.__init__, the podcast about Python and the people who make it great.
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Your host today is Tobias Macey
Today we are interviewing Matthew Rocklin and Alexander Schepanovski about their work on functional libraries for Python.

Interview with Alexander and Matthew

Introductions
How did you get introduced to Python? – Chris
Can you first explain what functional programming is and how it differs from the procedural or object oriented programming that most Pythonistas are familiar with? – Tobias
How did you get started with functional programming? – Tobias
What are the benefits of functional programming and when might someone want to use functional paradigms in their projects? – Tobias
What is it about functional programming that people find so intimidating and what do you think has led to its recent rise in popularity? – Tobias
What aspects of the Python language lend themselves to being used in a functional manner and where does it fall down? – Tobias
Can you each describe what your respective libraries provide in terms of functional capabilities and what their particular focus is? Are they distinct enough from each other that it would make sense to use them both in a single project? – Tobias
What inspired each of you to create your respective libraries? – Tobias
There is a functools module in the Python standard library that provides some methods that enable functional paradigms. Where does that module fall short and how do your respective libraries augment or replace the functionality in that module? – Tobias
There is also a library named fn.py which provides functional paradigms for use in Python. Can you each compare and contrast it with your own work? – Tobias
There are a number of concepts involved in functional programming such as currying, function composition, immutable data, and pure functions. Can you describe some of those concepts and then explain which of them you tried to incorporate into your libraries? – Tobias
What are some of the resources that you have found to be most helpful when trying to learn and apply functional principles to your programs? – Tobias