Verse, Haskell & Core Language Design (with Simon Peyton Jones)
Jan 31, 2024
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Simon Peyton Jones, a veteran language designer and researcher, talks about building a large language from a small, tightly designed core. He discusses his work on the Verse programming language which blends functional programming with logic languages like Prolog. Simon also discusses the importance of teaching computer science in education and reshaping the way it is taught in England.
Verse is a functional logic programming language that combines the strengths of functional programming and logic programming, aiming to provide a better programming experience for a wide range of users.
The core calculus of Verse captures the computational model of the language, with a unique type system that allows for high-level specifications and versatile type checking.
Advancing computing education requires collaboration with organizations like Computing at School (CAS) and the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) to support teachers, offer mentorship, and enhance the quality of education.
Deep dives
The Core Ideas of Verse
Verse is a functional logic programming language that combines the strengths of functional programming and logic programming. It aims to be a better way to write programs by allowing high-level specifications and expressive computations. The core calculus of Verse, which is a formalization of the language, captures the essence of computation in this paradigm. It includes types that act as contracts and functions that can fail or succeed based on specific conditions. The goal is to create a language that is both expressive and practical, and to provide a smooth and obvious programming experience for a wide range of users.
The Importance of Functional Programming
Functional programming, to which Verse belongs, has gained recognition as a superior approach to programming. It focuses on what a program is rather than how it computes, making it less prone to mistakes and more productive. Functional programming has influenced mainstream languages like C#, Python, and others. Verse takes functional programming a step further by incorporating functional logic programming. It combines the advantages of both paradigms, offering an even higher level of expressiveness and the ability to reason about properties of the result. While still in development, the practical benefits of Verse are being explored, and it is being positioned as a promising language for a wide range of applications.
The Verse Calculus and Type System
The core calculus of Verse captures the computational model of the language. It is closely related to the lambda calculus, but with additional constructs that support functional logic programming. The type system in Verse is unique, with types being functions that can either fail or succeed based on specific conditions. This unusual approach allows for high-level specifications and versatile type checking. The type checker in Verse, known as the verifier, runs Verse programs and provides verification rather than simple type checking. It aims to ensure that well-verified programs do not go wrong and eliminates certain classes of errors. Over time, the verifier is expected to become more powerful as it learns new rules and properties, leading to more precise verification of programs.
The Future of Verse and Verification
Verse is still in the early stages of development, with ongoing research and refinement of its core ideas and type system. The language is being designed with a strong focus on correctness, expressiveness, and practical usage. It is expected to provide a better programming experience for a wide range of users. The verification process in Verse will continue to evolve, aiming to eliminate certain classes of errors and provide efficient and reliable programs. Users may have the ability to add their own rules to the verifier in the future, but caution must be exercised to avoid introducing false rules that may result in program crashes.
The Importance of Computing Education
Computing education is seen as a crucial discipline for children as it provides them with the tools to understand the digital world and make informed choices. The UK has made significant strides in revamping the national curriculum to focus on teaching the fundamental principles of computer science from an early age. This shift aims to equip children with logical thinking skills and a knowledge base to navigate the digital landscape. The challenge lies in determining what and how children should learn, which has prompted the establishment of organizations like Computing at School (CAS) and the National Center for Computing Education to support teachers and provide resources. The involvement of individuals and companies in local communities can greatly contribute to the improvement of computing education worldwide.
Getting Involved in Computing Education
To get involved in advancing computing education, individuals can join organizations like Computing at School (CAS) and the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) in their respective countries. Joining CAS provides access to a community of professionals working towards improving computing education. Professionals can volunteer as mentors to teachers or students, offer to give talks about their experiences in the field, or become STEM ambassadors to inspire young minds. It is crucial to engage with teachers and schools to understand their specific needs and find ways to support them. Collaborating with existing educational initiatives and becoming subject matter experts can help shape and enhance the quality of computing education.
This week we talk to Simon Peyton Jones, a veteran language designer and researcher, and key figure in the development of Haskell. Haskell. Simon has made countless contributions to advancement of functional programming, and computer programming in general, and is currently working at Epic Games, working on the foundations of their new programming language, Verse.
We discuss how programming languages are made, focussing on a big design idea from both Haskell and Verse: building a large language from a small, tightly designed core. Then we move into Simon's current work exploring Functional Logic Programming, the big new idea that underpins Verse. It's an idea that blends the fundamentals FP with the core ideas of logic languages like Prolog in an entirely new way. Not even Simon knows exactly where the idea will lead, but it's a fascinating idea that could potentially bring constraint-solving and deduction right into the heart of modern software.
Additionally, Simon discusses his involvement in reshaping the way we teach computing in England. He's been working hard to give computing education the same importance as the teaching of mathematics and sciences - something we should all have a fundamental understanding of.
Simon's one of the smartest, nicest people in programming. Come as hear his brilliant brain at work. :-D
