Clojure: Simple By Design

Abstract

Clojure is simple by design. What does that mean, and why should you care?

Simplicity is a powerful technique for writing better programs, programs that have:

• concision: write programs 5-10x smaller than before
• robustness: easily write programs that work correctly
• generality: use the same simple ideas over and over, instead of masses and masses of redundant classes
• agility: add new capabilities with ease

In this talk, we will introduce Clojure, and introduce Simplicity via concrete examples from

• Clojure syntax
• Clojure protocols
• Clojure values and references

We will then show how these ideas (and others) lead to concision, robustness, generality, and agility.

Finally, we will talk about the production of Clojure: how these ideas translate into a distinctive style of managing an open-source project.

On the Web

• 2014 All Things Open slides