Functional Programming in…SQL? • Sam Roberton • YOW! 2019

Learn how to harness the power of functional programming concepts in SQL, such as pure functions, referential transparency, and immutability, to write more efficient and maintainable code.

Key takeaways
  • The speaker argues that functional programming concepts can be applied to SQL, and that it’s a good idea to do so, but it’s not always easy or straightforward.
  • SQL functions can be treated as pure functions, with no side effects, which can make it easier to reason about their behavior.
  • The speaker discusses the concept of referential transparency in functional programming, and how it can be applied to SQL.
  • He shows examples of how to use SQL functions to perform data transformations, such as concatenating tables and applying filters.
  • The speaker argues that treating SQL as a programming language, rather than just a query language, can make it easier to reason about and write efficient code.
  • He discusses the importance of immutability in functional programming, and how it can be applied to SQL.
  • The talk concludes with the idea that SQL can be used as a functional programming language, but that it’s not always easy to do so, and that there are limitations to how far this approach can be taken.