[patientplatypus]

Dumb question. Is Haskell ever the best tool for the job? I feel that every language has a sweet spot, but Haskell seems to be a language that people use just to show that they can. I've always wanted to learn, but I don't want to learn if there isn't a reason to.

[nvarsj]

It’s arguably the best pure functional language implementation. So if you think functional programming is a good thing, then yes it’s worth learning. The worst part about Haskell is you realise how lacklustre functional programming is in every other hybrid language. The lisps probably come closest in capturing a similar feel.

[6gvONxR4sf7o]

Here's a popular "State of the Haskell ecosystem" page:

https://github.com/Gabriel439/post-rfc/blob/master/sotu.md

There are a number of things where haskell is best in class and a larger number of things where it's immature. The language itself could be excellent at far far more than it is today, but libraries are limited for many tasks.

[whateveracct]

Once you get over the learning curve, Haskell becomes the best tool for most jobs. The main reason I've _not_ used it is ecosystem (e.g. if Go or something has a library for some API that Haskell doesn't)

For instance, you could make a video game in Haskell. It has SDL2 bindings, plenty of networking libraries, best-in-class support for DSLs (user scripting), and you can even write the music for your game itself in Haskell!