Functional JavaScript First Steps

• Understand the principles of Functional Programming (FP) and how it differs from other programming styles like object-oriented and imperative programming.
• Master the use of pure functions to create predictable and testable code without side effects.
• Learn to apply higher-order functions and recursion to replace traditional iterative loops for cleaner, more efficient code.
• Explore advanced FP techniques, including closures, currying, and function composition, to build complex functionality from simple components.
• Discover the importance of immutability in functional programming and how to maintain state without direct mutations.

This course offers a beginner-friendly introduction to functional programming using JavaScript. Students will explore the core concepts of functional programming, focusing on writing code with pure functions and leveraging JavaScript's functional features to create maintainable and efficient applications. Through hands-on exercises and demonstrations, learners will gain proficiency in using higher-order functions, recursion, closures, and more advanced techniques like currying and function composition, along with understanding the role of immutable data.

• JavaScript developers interested in exploring functional programming paradigms.
• Programmers seeking to enhance their code quality with functional programming techniques.
• Software engineers aiming to improve their problem-solving skills by adopting new programming styles.
• Individuals looking to write more predictable and testable JavaScript code.

• Basic knowledge of JavaScript programming.
• Familiarity with core JavaScript concepts like functions and arrays.
• Understanding of basic programming principles is beneficial.

• Introduction: Overview of the course content, structure, and the importance of functional programming concepts, with links to slides and exercises hosted on Observable HQ.
• What is Functional Programming: Learn the fundamentals of functional programming and compare it to imperative and object-oriented paradigms. Understand the significance of pure functions and their role in FP.
• Pure vs. Impure Functions: Explore the characteristics of pure functions and how they differ from impure ones, focusing on determinism and side effects.
• Staying Out of the Loop with Recursion: Discover how to use recursion in place of traditional iterative loops and understand the performance implications, including proper tail calls.
• Higher Order Functions: Learn about higher-order functions and how they can be used to replace iteration in JavaScript, focusing on filter, map, and reduce.
• Closure: Understand how closures allow inner functions to access variables from their outer function scope and their applications in FP.
• Partial Application & Currying: Explore the concepts of partial application and currying to create reusable, flexible functions with locked-in arguments.
• Function Composition: Learn how to build programs by composing smaller functions into larger ones, focusing on creating pipelines and transforming data.
• Immutability: Discover how to work with immutable data structures to avoid mutation and explore libraries like Immutable.js and Immer for efficient data management.
• Wrapping Up: Recap of the course content and additional resources for further exploration of functional programming topics.