So, last night, I was having this problem with my Java code where I couldn't figure out for the life of me how to write a piece of code without a big if {} else if {} else if {} ... else {} structure. I was Googling "Java Reflection" to try to determine how to "cast to the most concerete subclass at runtime." Then it dawned on me that what I was trying to do has already been solved by using the Visitor design pattern. Then, after reading the Visitor design pattern page on Wiki, it said that the visitor pattern is essentially an implementation of a functor. Aha! It totally clicked. The Visitor pattern allows you to collect code for similar operations, while spreading apart code for similar objects. Now that really sounds like a functor! Although, now I'm second guessing myself, because I can't figure out how we could create some design pattern that simulates an applicative functor. I'm pretty sure the Visitor pattern doesn't take you this far (but I am willing to be corrected). So, is there a way to create applicative functors in non-functional languages? What would that pattern look like? - Tom -- View this message in context: http://www.nabble.com/Functors-and-the-Visitor-Pattern-tp23851113p23851113.h... Sent from the Haskell - Haskell-Cafe mailing list archive at Nabble.com.