DevSummer - Getting started with Clojure coding

Clojure is a simple, powerful and fun language to develop any and all applications. It has a simple syntax that is quick to learn and a wide range of Clojure libraries to build any kind of apps and services. Its also easy to use any existing Java / JVM Language code or libraries as part of your Clojure apps.

In this workshop we take a hands on approach where everyone takes Clojure code and experiments with it using the REPL (interactive runtime environment). You will quickly get a feel for Clojure by evaluating, breaking, fixing and extending code in the REPL, all the while getting instant feedback on what your code is doing.

As we work through code we will discuss the concepts behind Clojure, including functional programming, "pure" functions and a stateless approach with persistent data structures, changing state safely, Java interoperability and tooling around Clojure.

There are lots of examples to try, more than 3 hours worth, so you can try out the parts most relevant or continue the workshop in your own time.

Supporting Resources

Workshop

• Clojure Webapp workshop
• Getting started with Clojure
• Clojure through code - sample code to evaluate in LightTable
• Lighttable Koans - exercises to help you discover Clojure
• Brave Clojure
• Clojure webapp sample - hello world with Compojure
• Getting started with Clojure on Heroku

Clojure

• Clojure.org, features and rational
• Clojure documentation
• Clojure cheetsheet
• Official Google group
• CrossClj - cross-referencing the Clojure ecosystem

Community

• Clojure-docs - community docs
• CrossCLJ - cross-referencing the Clojure ecosystem
• 4Clojure exercises & 4Clojure Google group
• London Clojurians and their Google group
• Uncle Bob presents Clojure