I started using Python around 1998, and I loved the elegance of it, but I was frustrated with the performance. Around 2001 I was poking around for something that would give me better performance but still allow some nice capabilities for abstraction.
<br><br>I started using OCaml after reading a commentary from one of the Shootout guys that he had been impressed with it. I loved the performance and the parametrized modules, but the lack of overloading was frustrating. Once I was looking for a nice rule of thumb for when to use foldl vs. foldr, and was disappointed to hear "Just use foldl - it's tail recursive." Maybe there's a place for folding right in a strict language, but I haven't seen it.
<br clear="all"><br>Once I was deep into OCaml, Haskell kept coming up, since so many people using OCaml also like Haskell. Seeing some elegance in "A Gentle Introduction to Haskell" and not immediately understanding it got me hooked right away. And there's a time to fold right!
<br><br>Chad<br>