It is said that there are almost 9000 coding and programming languages ever developed. Today, there are anywhere between 200 and 300 programming languages that are most commonly used by programmers however not all of them are that popular. Developers nowadays use one of the top five languages that have been created and it is said that Python is the one that is most commonly used because it is the simplest one and preferred by beginners. If you work with coding, chances are, you are either using C or C++ or you may even be programming with Java, SQL, or JavaScript. Just because these are the most common 5 it does not mean that there are no other options that may be even better or more preferred by coders. In this article, we are going to talk about the Haskell programming language and we’re going to tell you more about the software development that can be done with it. Keep on reading to find out more about this language and why some programmers choose to go with it instead of any of the other more popular options.
What is it?
The first thing we are going to talk about is what Haskell actually is and we’re going to give you more information on the basics that you need to know about it. This is a purely functional programming language and it is said to be general-purpose and statically typed. All of the programs in this language are written as a mathematical function and this means that they’re going to be no additional side effects that may come with the coding or no issues that may arise like they do when you use any of the other languages.
This language is most commonly used in academia and research but a lot of companies nowadays are choosing to go with it instead of the other options. Currently, a lot of companies that work in social media and web startups are the ones that are all switching to this programming language and you can also see the use of this language in defense, hardware design, and even aerospace. Because of its security features and because of its stability we can also notice this language being used in a lot of financial companies that want to provide an even bigger production to all of their files and data. It is sad that when you develop software with this language you are going to be far more protected and all of your programs are going to be much harder to hack or break into.
Why should you use it?
Now let’s talk about some of the benefits that come with Haskell and why the companies are switching to this language instead of the more popular options. You should know that it first comes with memory safety which means that it is less likely to buffer, leak, or create any memory-related bucks. Programmers are able to write secure software and experience fewer issues and with that provide far better software than what can be done with other languages.
It is a static type of code meaning that even in the early stages of development bugs can be caught and they can be corrected before the software is sent to the client or even the end users. When you create something that is close to flawless you are less likely to disappoint your users and you are less likely to have to go back to the drawing board and fix things or try to find solutions that are going to work in the end of the line.
As you can see on Serokell, this language can be used for Rust programming and consulting, and when you combine the two languages together, you can easily develop software that will be stable, easy to use, and with virtually no drawbacks.
Another thing that is important when it comes to programming languages is for them to offer versatile toolsets for programmers so that the language itself can become a convenience. This language is said to be lazy language meaning that you can define custom control structures and you will get improved compostability. It comes with its own ecosystem and it features almost 15,000 packages. With it, you’re going to be able to easily find a solution to a lot of problems that you’re facing and you can use the library to find the answers for many of the problems that you may think are huge issues. In addition to all this, it offers a native code and it comes with pure fact functions that can be easy to test and debug.
Are there any drawbacks?
Finally, let’s see if there are any drawbacks that could affect your software development with this programming language and if there are any things that you may be interested in knowing before you switch to this language.
You should first and foremost know that this language is fairly complicated and complex to learn because it is far different from any of the other languages that you may be using now. The fact that it’s completely different will make you either get confused when you start to learn it or you may even start forgetting the other languages and syntax that you have been using before. This may not be seen just as a disadvantage but you should be aware of this before you start testing it out.
You should also be aware that the programs and the software that is written using Haskell may be far slower than what you have been used to before so if you are looking for any applications that demand perfect performance and high speed this may not be the best solution for your needs. You should also be aware that cryptic programs can be written using this language but you may not be able to fully understand them a few days after or if you start using anything else and then go back to Haskell. You need to be using it constantly and you need to be developing with it all the time if you don’t want to fall back on your knowledge since it’s not something that you can see everywhere and since it’s it is not something that is most commonly used by programmers all over the world.
Overall, healthfully said to be amazing when it comes to software development and it is said that it’s the future for a lot of fields and different companies all over the world. You should definitely give it a chance and you should try to learn it to be able to fully understand the advantages and all the positives that come with this option.