Blast.. i didn't hit "reply all" so here's a forward of my mail to the group...

--ryan
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ryan Dickie <goalieca@gmail.com>
Date: Apr 16, 2007 4:24 PM
Subject: Re: [Haskell-cafe] Tutorial on Haskell
To: Simon Peyton-Jones < simonpj@microsoft.com>

I can tell you what me and my colleagues would be interested in (though none of us are actually going). We code a lot of math. You may call it scientific computing. Haskell seems like a natural fit for the task.

In particular we are interested in:
1) the type system
2) concurrency (can these be set to run on a large system)
3) simple relation between what equations we write on paper, and what equations we write in haskell.

I'm still a n00b to Haskell. For us languages like matlab, maple, etc. do not fit the job very well and run too slowly. C/C++ is usually what i use but it can be a pain. Python, etc... well its good for the glue i suppose. Haskell might fit that niche.


On 4/16/07, Simon Peyton-Jones < simonpj@microsoft.com> wrote:
Friends

I have agreed to give a 3-hr tutorial on Haskell at the Open Source Convention 2007
         http://conferences.oreillynet.com/os2007/

I'm quite excited about this: it is a great opportunity to expose Haskell to a bunch of smart folk, many of whom won't know much about Haskell.  My guess is that they'll be Linux/Perl/Ruby types, and they'll be practitioners rather than pointy-headed academics.

One possibility is to do a tutorial along the lines of "here's how to reverse a list", "here's what a type is" etc; you know the kind of thing.  But instead, I'd prefer to show them programs that they might consider *useful* rather than cute, and introduce the language along the way, as it were.

So this message is to ask you for your advice.  Many of you are exactly the kind of folk that come to OSCON --- except that you know Haskell.   So help me out:

        Suggest concrete examples of programs that are
                * small
                * useful
                * demonstrate Haskell's power
                * preferably something that might be a bit
                        tricky in another language

For example, a possible unifying theme would be this:
        http://haskell.org/haskellwiki/Simple_unix_tools

Another might be Don's cpu-scaling example
        http://cgi.cse.unsw.edu.au/~dons/blog/2007/03/10

But there must be lots of others.  For example, there are lots in the blog entries that Don collects for the Haskell Weekly Newsletter.  But I'd like to use you as a filter: tell me your favourites, the examples you find compelling.  (It doesn't have to be *your* program... a URL to a great blog entry is just fine.)  Of course I'll give credit to the author.

Remember, the goal is _not_ "explain monads".  It's "Haskell is a great way to Get The Job Done".

Thanks!

Simon
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