Erlang using Kent University Erlang master class

Note that the content has been reworked into two MOOCs:
Functional Programming in Erlang
Concurrent Programming in Erlang

The first one is entirely about (sequential) functional programming while the second one goes over the principles and techniques of concurrent programming that OTP is based on - while only taking you to the doorstep of OTP (i.e. you use gen_server at the end of the course). There still is room for a third course exploring the use of various OTP behaviours.

While Learn You Some Erlang is in Erlang, it’s knowledge is all based around the BEAM ecosystem which is what Elixir is based on.

On Erlang’s Syntax:

the syntax is only intimidating, it’s far from difficult.

Erlang is a fairly small language and should be simple enough to learn if you approach it with an open mind (and lots of people don’t). The benefit of learning functional and concurrent programming in Erlang is that it should give you a clean break from your existing PHP/Ruby mindset. Elixir’s Ruby-like syntax may lure you into treating it like Ruby - which it really isn’t. The typical challenges to learning a BEAM language are:

• Using pattern matching instead of conditionals
• Using recursion instead of iteration (and by extension, using higher order functions)
• Thinking concurrently

That being said having to learn Erlang can feel like the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Learn Functional Programming with Elixir aims to teach functional programming in Elixir (i.e. no need to do it in Erlang). Elixir in Action progresses a bit quicker in order to cover the basics of concurrent programming and explore some of OTP - in way it feels like an Erlang (i.e. BEAM) book that happens to use Elixir - no Ruby-coloured glasses here.

Dave’s course doesn’t provide free lessons in an order, so I won’t be able to get an idea about how easier/harder the whole course is, although I got an idea from the free lessons and the titles of the paid lessons, that the course covers a lot of stuff.

So, I think the biggest risk here is that you start the course and that you find it too fast paced.

You’re a programmer, so you don’t need spoon feeding with the conventional drivel about “this is an integer.” No. You need to know what’s different, and you want to know quickly.

This pretty much sets the tone for what is expected of you. But given how well the course is reviewed here, the biggest risk is that you may have to pause and backfill some concepts before you return to it. So while the course may turn out to be “too much” in the short term, I find it hard to believe that it would be useless in the long term as long as you go back to it when you are ready.

It’s one of the best courses out there

See my review of it here for my thoughts:

Although I have a great respect for teacher, which taugh me a lot on React JS, I have to say I was not convinced by his course on Elixir/Phoenix bootcamp.

The main problem was the misuse of functional terminology, that showed he was more like discovering “at the same time”…

I watched PragDave course and for me he knows more about FP.

I didn’t watched the other courses, so I can’t tell…

I know the author puts a lot of efforts preparing his course, but it’s not like learning a new JS lib. You can’t understand FP in 3 months, it’s just too big change. Well, it’s just a personal opinion, of course.

We all have different technics and goals when learning. I started a year ago, but with a Rails background. And for me, it was important to understand the difference, because I didn’t wanted to redo in Phoenix what I could do with Rails.

So I started by learning OTP, much before Phoenix (and even Elixir) because it is (for me) the real promise I can get from the language.

And, as the best things are free, the videos that finally tilted me were Kent University Erlang master class. I know I mention these often, but it’s because I could understand the link between the code and the actor model.

Not to mention that teachers are great. And again, just my personal opinion