Functional Programming using JavaScript

Functional programming has been steadily gaining traction in recent years, with languages such as F#, Rust, and Go emerging as prominent proponents of this paradigm. At its core, functional programming is a methodology for constructing software through the composition of pure functions while steering clear of shared state, mutable data, and side effects. Unlike imperative programming, which relies on explicit instructions, functional programming adopts a declarative approach, enabling the application state to traverse a path defined by pure functions. This stands in stark contrast to object-oriented programming, where the application state typically resides within objects alongside their methods.

Functional programming constitutes a distinct programming paradigm, underpinned by a set of foundational principles outlined above. It shares this categorization with other paradigms such as object-oriented programming and procedural programming. One of the compelling characteristics of functional code is its brevity, predictability, and testability, setting it apart from the often verbose and unpredictable nature of imperative or object-oriented code. However, newcomers to functional programming may initially find it dense and the associated literature daunting.

In the course ahead, we will delve into various libraries that grant us access to functional programming within the JavaScript ecosystem. Some of these libraries generate transpiled JavaScript code, including Scala, Elm, ClojureScript, and PureScript. Throughout this course, we will explore these libraries in depth, offering you the opportunity to gain a profound understanding of functional programming in the context of JavaScript. By the end of this journey, you will have not only grasped the principles of functional programming but also acquired the practical skills and knowledge to harness its power effectively.