Clojure
Clojure is a dynamic, general-purpose programming language that targets the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). It combines the approachability and interactive development of a scripting language with an efficient and robust infrastructure for multithreaded programming.
lisp
functional-programming
jvm
Clojure: A Dynamic JVM Language for Multithreaded Programming
Clojure is a dynamic, general-purpose programming language that targets the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). It combines the approachability and interactive development of a scripting language with an efficient and robust infrastructure for multithreaded programming.
What is Clojure?
Clojure is a dynamic, general-purpose programming language that targets the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). It was designed by Rich Hickey in 2007 with a focus on simplicity, power, and performance.
Some key features of Clojure include:
- Functional programming - Clojure emphasizes programming with immutable values and functions. This facilitates easier reasoning about program behavior.
- Dynamic typing - Variables in Clojure do not require type declarations and types are checked during runtime.
- Lisp syntax - Clojure inherits a lightweight, expressive syntax from the Lisp programming language family.
- Host interoperability - Clojure can interface seamlessly with Java code, allowing access to all existing Java libraries.
- Concurrency support - Managing state and coordinating processes across threads is an integral part of Clojure through features like software transactional memory.
Clojure is commonly used for parallel computing, cloud services, web development, data analysis, machine learning, and other applications requiring scalability or predictive capability. Its functional approach helps manage complexity in large projects.
Notable companies using Clojure include Amazon, Facebook, Netflix, Puppet, and Walmart.
Clojure Features
Features
- Functional programming language
- Runs on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
- Interoperability with Java code and libraries
- Rich set of immutable data structures
- Emphasis on simplicity, consistency and minimalism
- REPL (read-eval-print loop) environment
- Concurrency and parallelism support
- Lisp syntax and homoiconic nature
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
Simple and consistent syntax
Great for concurrent programming
Access to large Java ecosystem
Fast and efficient
REPL allows interactive development
Code as data philosophy enables powerful macros
Minimal syntax reduces cognitive load
Cons
Performance overhead compared to Java
Smaller ecosystem than Java or other languages
Unfamiliar Lisp syntax for some developers
Dynamic typing can lead to runtime errors
Not as beginner friendly as other languages
Official Links
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