Rather than give advice, let me tell you how I got started and perhaps it will help.
I was a C++ and Java programmer. Then I took a class in the logic on computation, where part two was lambda calculus. Part of the class was an evaluation machine that we built manually on paper.
I just happened to be playing a bit with ML at the time, and suddenly it just sank into me deeply and I built some fairly large prototypes in ML. I used Harlequin's compiler and debugger.
Then I had something I wanted to build that needed some lazy lists. I got the GCH compiler installed on my Windows laptop and I have never looked back at ML.
I have also looked at Milner's process calculus for inspiration.
So I guess I started with theory first, then practice.
As for books, by both books recommend in one of the responses and ML for the working programmer by Paulson.
Hope that helps.
Mike
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nicolas Tremblay [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2000 8:15 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Where do I start ?
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> I am very interested by the Haskell language.
>
> I'm not at any faculty, I just heard about this language
> on the internet.
>
> I work in a QA departement in Montreeal, I don't have a lot
> of experience in programming; exept for Bourne shell scripting
> which I became fairly confortable with.
>
> I just started to read a bit about Haskell and so far,
> I'm very much impressed with the possibilities.
>
> I setted myself personnal objectives a while ago, to learn
> a multiplatform compilable language. In short words C++.
> Well, C++ was the answer until I heard about Haskell.
>
> I Feel it would be a good thing for me, since I don't have
> to program something, or work with it very quickly.
> It would be just, let's say, a knowledge investment based
> on an intuission. I seriously think that this thing has
> serious application in a very close future, and I want to
> be part of it, in my own way.
>
> The problem is, I'm this type of guy who would need a book like:
> "Learn Haskell in 21 days" ... hehehe or "Haskell for Dummies"
>
> Tell me, where to start ?
> Or where is the best place to start...
> (am I crasy to even think about starting ?)
>
> I just installed this:
> nhc98-1.0pre19-1.i386.rpm
>
> uname -rm
> 2.2.14-5.0 i586
>
> Thanks a lot.
>
> --
>
> N i c o l a s T r e m b l a y
> Product Tester, Infrastructure
> D I S C R E E T INC.
>
