<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <title>Introduction</title> <link rel="stylesheet" href="../../../../../../doc/src/boostbook.css" type="text/css"> <meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.75.2"> <link rel="home" href="../index.html" title="Chapter 1. Phoenix 2.0"> <link rel="up" href="../index.html" title="Chapter 1. Phoenix 2.0"> <link rel="prev" href="../index.html" title="Chapter 1. Phoenix 2.0"> <link rel="next" href="starter_kit.html" title="Starter Kit"> </head> <body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"> <table cellpadding="2" width="100%"><tr> <td valign="top"><img alt="Boost C++ Libraries" width="277" height="86" src="../../../../../../boost.png"></td> <td align="center"><a href="../../../../../../index.html">Home</a></td> <td align="center"><a href="../../../../../../libs/libraries.htm">Libraries</a></td> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.boost.org/users/people.html">People</a></td> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.boost.org/users/faq.html">FAQ</a></td> <td align="center"><a href="../../../../../../more/index.htm">More</a></td> </tr></table> <hr> <div class="spirit-nav"> <a accesskey="p" href="../index.html"><img src="../../../../../../doc/src/images/prev.png" alt="Prev"></a><a accesskey="u" href="../index.html"><img src="../../../../../../doc/src/images/up.png" alt="Up"></a><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html"><img src="../../../../../../doc/src/images/home.png" alt="Home"></a><a accesskey="n" href="starter_kit.html"><img src="../../../../../../doc/src/images/next.png" alt="Next"></a> </div> <div class="section"> <div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"> <a name="phoenix.introduction"></a><a class="link" href="introduction.html" title="Introduction">Introduction</a> </h2></div></div></div> <p> <span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="../images/banner.png" alt="banner"></span> </p> <p> The Phoenix library enables FP techniques such as higher order functions, <span class="emphasis"><em>lambda</em></span> (unnamed functions), <span class="emphasis"><em>currying</em></span> (partial function application) and lazy evaluation in C++. The focus is more on usefulness and practicality than purity, elegance and strict adherence to FP principles. </p> <p> FP is a programming discipline that is not at all tied to a specific language. FP as a programming discipline can, in fact, be applied to many programming languages. In the realm of C++ for instance, we are seeing more FP techniques being applied. C++ is sufficiently rich to support at least some of the most important facets of FP. C++ is a multiparadigm programming language. It is not only procedural. It is not only object oriented. Beneath the core of the standard C++ library, a closer look into STL gives us a glimpse of FP already in place. It is obvious that the authors of STL know and practice FP. In the near future, we shall surely see more FP trickle down into the mainstream. </p> <p> The truth is, most of the FP techniques can coexist quite well with the standard object oriented and imperative programming paradigms. When we are using STL algorithms and functors (function objects) for example, we are already doing FP. Phoenix is an evolutionary next step. </p> </div> <table xmlns:rev="http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~gregod/boost/tools/doc/revision" width="100%"><tr> <td align="left"></td> <td align="right"><div class="copyright-footer">Copyright © 2002-2005 Joel de Guzman, Dan Marsden<p> Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at <a href="http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt" target="_top">http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt</a>) </p> </div></td> </tr></table> <hr> <div class="spirit-nav"> <a accesskey="p" href="../index.html"><img src="../../../../../../doc/src/images/prev.png" alt="Prev"></a><a accesskey="u" href="../index.html"><img src="../../../../../../doc/src/images/up.png" alt="Up"></a><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html"><img src="../../../../../../doc/src/images/home.png" alt="Home"></a><a accesskey="n" href="starter_kit.html"><img src="../../../../../../doc/src/images/next.png" alt="Next"></a> </div> </body> </html>