We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Functional Programming
Elixir stands as a dynamic, functional programming language designed for building scalable and maintainable applications. By favoring a functional programming paradigm, it allows developers to write code that is concise, predictable, and easy to test. Developers transitioning from imperative and object-oriented languages like JavaScript or Ruby are often struck by Elixir's elegant syntax and powerful features, such as its robust concurrent processing capabilities.
The language is built on the Erlang VM (BEAM), which gives it access to the powerful concurrency model and fault tolerance for which Erlang is known. The BEAM VM's ability to efficiently handle thousands of processes simultaneously makes Elixir an excellent choice for building high-performance, distributed server-side applications. One of Elixir's most distinctive features is its support for immutable data structures, which ensures that data remains unchanged as it flows through the system, reducing side effects and increasing reliability.
Elixir also boasts a vibrant ecosystem, with frameworks like Phoenix for web development, which includes features like LiveView for real-time communication in web apps. The language offers robust tooling for software development such as the mix build tool, the Hex package manager, and the ExUnit testing framework, all designed to provide a delightful experience for developers. Its metaprogramming capabilities allow for writing code that writes code, enabling high reusability and further reducing boilerplate.
Educational resources, podcasts, and community talks available to Elixir developers cover a wide gamut of topics, from deep learning to embedded systems development. The language's approachable syntax and powerful features, coupled with the thriving community and extensive resources, ensure that both new and experienced programmers can discover and harness the joys and efficiency of functional programming with Elixir.
An Overview of Elixir's Syntax
In this blog post titled "Unpacking Elixir", Lars provides a thorough exploration of the Elixir programming language, explaining its syntax, conventions, features, and interop with Erlang. Lars discusses various aspects of the language, such as modules, functions, pipes, pattern matching, macros, and more, offering insights and observations along the way.
Explained: How Elixir and Erlang Handle Arrays Functionally
Many data structures including arrays don't translate equally from imperative to functional programming languages and there are important reasons why.
Cost Savings and Increased Performance with Elixir
Elixir, a dynamic and functional programming language, has saved businesses millions of dollars per year in server costs. Companies like Pinterest and Bleacher Report have experienced significant reductions in server expenses, with improved reliability and performance, by leveraging the power of Elixir and the underlying Erlang platform.
Insights on Using Elixir and Phoenix for Commercial Projects
Alex Korban shares his thoughts on using Elixir, Phoenix, and LiveView for a commercial project over the past 18 months. He finds Elixir enjoyable with a good combination of functional programming and concurrency, and while there are some areas that could be improved, both Elixir and Phoenix are solid tools with LiveView being an impressive addition for more complex applications.
Overview of Elixir's HTTP Clients
Andrea Leopardi provides an overview of various HTTP clients available in Elixir, including Mint, Finch, Req, and httpc. He discusses the features and use cases of each client, offering recommendations based on different scenarios.
Explanation of syntax for calling anonymous functions in Elixir
In this article by José Valim, he explains why Elixir uses a dot when calling anonymous functions. The main reason for this choice is because functions in Elixir have to be identified by name and arity, and using the dot helps avoid naming conflicts and provides clarity in the code.
© HashMerge 2025