Applied Functional Programming Techniques

This unit applies core functional programming concepts in both Python and Haskell to build, run, and integrate small applications and data-processing pipelines. Students will work with lambdas, higher-order functions, pattern matching, recursion, I/O, file and binary manipulation, and relevant libraries and GUIs to prepare for culminating project work.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze and compare functional constructs and library support in Python and Haskell by implementing equivalent programs that use lambda expressions, higher-order functions, pattern matching, and type class abstractions.
• Apply functional programming techniques to data tasks by implementing list and vector manipulations, filtering, handling missing data, organizing datasets, and performing binary and file I/O in both languages.
• Demonstrate the ability to build, run, and integrate applications by creating a Python GUI application (TkInter or PyQtGraph), compiling and executing Haskell programs, and incorporating third-party libraries.
• Evaluate program correctness and design choices by diagnosing common recursion and pattern-matching errors, selecting appropriate data structures (dictionaries/sets alternatives), and recommending improvements and external resources for continued development.