On: How high school students start thinking about code

[lanaer]

Iirc, it isn’t even assignment, it’s a monad extraction.

e.g.

a <- [2] …

gives a the value of 2, unwrapping the List monad (only works if the return value of the function is a List of some kind).

The above could also be written:

[2] >> (\a -> …)

It’s been a while since I’ve done much with haskell, so forgive me if I’ve mis-remembered something.

[llimllib → lanaer]

I know that's what it does under the covers, but is there any reason not to think of it as assignment in your head? That's the mental construct I use in my extremely limited Haskell coding, anyway.

[lanaer → llimllib]

Because if you think of it as assignment, the fact that

a <- [2]

binds a to 2, rather than [2], makes no sense.

edit:

a better example (because it is more useful) would be:

a <- Just 2

which, again, binds a to 2, unwrapping the Maybe monad in the process. (I forget what happens if you try to do a <- Nothing)

[sharkbrainguy → lanaer]

I accidentally downvoted this...

[lanaer → sharkbrainguy]

Aw :(

I think I’ll live with 1 less karma ;)

[wlievens → lanaer]

Compensated. Now nobody vote this parent up or down lest we disturb the gods.