Becoming Functional: Steps for Transforming Into a Functional Programmer

For programmers familiar with imperative and object-oriented paradigms, transitioning to functional programming can seem daunting. This hands-on book serves as a practical guide, easing you into this new world. Author Joshua Backfield introduces fundamental implementation concepts incrementally, building a solid foundation before exploring more advanced functional techniques and practices.

Each chapter focuses on a specific functional concept, immediately applying it to refactor legacy imperative code from the fictional Xxy company. By actively writing and testing functional code, you will gain practical experience. The book progresses from Java 7 to Groovy, and ultimately to Scala, mirroring the increasing need for robust functional language support as your skills develop. This approach allows you to understand how functional programming can be leveraged to create more efficient and maintainable applications, a skill highly valued by many an experienced trader. The principles discussed can even be applied to algorithmic trading strategies.