Haskell Libraries and Frameworks: Which Ones to Use and Why

Are you tired of sifting through countless Haskell libraries and frameworks? Are you unsure which ones are best for your project? Look no further! This article will guide you through some of the top Haskell libraries and frameworks and explain why they are worth considering.

The Basics

First, let's start with the basics. Libraries in Haskell are packages of reusable code that can be easily imported into your project. Frameworks are libraries that provide a complete structure for building a specific kind of application.

Haskell has a large and growing collection of libraries and frameworks. This is largely due to the language's popularity among academia and the functional programming community in general. With so many options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to select the right tool for the job.

Web Frameworks

If you're building a web application in Haskell, you'll need a web framework. Here are three of the most popular options:

Yesod

Yesod is a mature, battle-tested web framework that uses Haskell's type system to prevent common web security vulnerabilities. It provides a high-level API for building web applications, making it well-suited for rapid development. Yesod also includes a built-in ORM, a templating engine, and support for a variety of databases.

Scotty

Scotty is a lightweight web framework that is particularly well-suited for building RESTful APIs. It has a simple, intuitive API and a small footprint, making it an excellent choice for small or medium-sized projects.

Servant

Servant is a powerful web framework that uses a type-safe DSL to describe APIs. It automatically generates client and server code based on the API specification, making it well-suited for building microservices. Servant also has built-in support for streaming and authentication.

Database Libraries

When it comes to databases, Haskell has a variety of options. Here are three of the most popular libraries for working with databases in Haskell:

Persistent

Persistent is an ORM that is tightly integrated with Yesod. It provides a type-safe API for querying databases, making it difficult to introduce runtime errors. Persistent also supports a wide variety of databases and integrates seamlessly with Yesod's template system.

Opaleye

Opaleye is a type-safe DSL for SQL that provides a low-level interface for working with databases. It generates efficient SQL queries and statically checks queries for correctness, making it well-suited for complex database applications.

HDBC

HDBC is a lightweight library for working with databases in Haskell. It provides a database-independent API for querying databases and supports a variety of databases, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite.

Concurrency Libraries

Concurrency is a fundamental feature of Haskell, and the language has several libraries for working with threads and asynchronous programming. Here are three of the most popular options:

Async

Async is a lightweight library for working with asynchronous computations in Haskell. It provides a type-safe API for managing threads and supports cancelation of asynchronous computations.

Concurrent

Concurrent is a low-level library for working with threads and concurrency in Haskell. It provides an interface for creating and managing threads and supports advanced features like MVar and STM.

Pipes

Pipes is a powerful and composable library for working with streams in Haskell. It provides a type-safe interface for building complex stream processing pipelines and supports advanced features like concurrency and error handling.

Crypto Libraries

Haskell is well-suited for cryptography due to its strong type system and emphasis on purity. Here are three of the most popular crypto libraries for Haskell:

Cryptonite

Cryptonite is a low-level crypto library for Haskell that provides a variety of cryptographic primitives, including encryption, hash functions, and digital signatures. It is designed to be easy to use and includes support for several cryptographic standards, including AES and RSA.

Sodium

Sodium is a high-level crypto library for Haskell that provides bindings to the libsodium library. It includes support for encryption, authenticated encryption, and digital signatures, and is designed to be easy to use.

Hs-crypto-api

Hs-crypto-api is a high-level crypto library for Haskell that provides a type-safe interface for building cryptographic applications. It provides a variety of cryptographic primitives, including encryption, signing, and key management.

Conclusion

Haskell has a thriving ecosystem of libraries and frameworks, making it an excellent choice for building a variety of applications. While the choices can be overwhelming, the libraries and frameworks outlined in this article are excellent starting points for most projects.

Whether you're building a web application, working with databases, or building highly concurrent systems, Haskell has the tools you need to get the job done. So why not give Haskell a try and unleash the power of functional programming for your next project? The possibilities are endless!

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