This easy-to-use, fast-moving tutorial introduces you to functional programming with Haskell. Learn how to use Haskell in a variety of practical ways, whether it's for short, script-like programs or large and demanding applications. Written for experienced programmers, Real World Haskell takes you through the basics of functional programming at a brisk pace, and helps you increase your understanding of Haskell in real-world issues like I/O, performance, dealing with data, concurrency, and more as you move through each chapter. With this book, you will: Understand the difference between procedural and functional programming Learn about Haskell's compiler, interpreter, values, simple functions, and types Find your way around Haskell's library -- and write your own Use monads to express I/O operations and changes in state Interact with databases, parse files and data, and handle errors Discover how to use Haskell for systems programming Learn concurrency and parallel programming with Haskell You'll find plenty of hands-on exercises, along with examples of real Haskell programs that you can modify, compile, and run. If you've never used a functional language before, and want to understand why Haskell is now coming into its own as a practical language in so many major organizations, Real World Haskell is the place to start.