C++Now 2014

In 1997 Conal Elliot and Paul Hudak published their discovery of a new mathematical model of interactivity dubbed functional reactive programming (FRP). Their time-function based model radically departs from the typical event and callback paradigms. The end result is a much more natural and concise means of writing interactive programs—time steps, frames, connections, and other such considerations are completely abstracted away.

In this talk we will introduce the FRP methodology and present 'sfrp': a novel, industrial strength, functional reactive programming framework that is readily usable in domains such as robotics, computer animation, and user interfaces. 'sfrp' will be compared with other C++ and Haskell FRP implementations and experience using 'sfrp' in commercial applications will be noted. It is our hope that after attending this talk, an attendee will know when to use the FRP paradigm and how to apply it to their application using 'sfrp'.

The target audience for this talk is C++ developers of all skill levels interested in making their interactive programs more powerful and concise. No prior experience in functional reactive programming or functional programming is required.