Modular Higher-Order Effects in Declarative Languages - PADL'24 Lecture

Explore the concept of modular higher-order effects in declarative programming languages through this conference talk from PADL'24. Delve into how effect handlers bridge the gap between program purpose and evaluation process, offering a framework where operations define syntax and handlers provide semantics. Examine the popularity of algebraic effects in creating domain-specific languages (DSLs) and their ability to encapsulate effectful operations within algebraic theories. Discover the limitations of algebraic effects and the exploration of scoped and latent effects as potential solutions. Learn about the 'effective' library, an implementation of modular higher-order effects in Haskell, designed to simplify working with modular models of algebraic and scoped effects. Gain insights into how this library enables the definition of syntax and semantics for custom DSLs in a modular and extensible manner, while seamlessly integrating with Haskell's I/O mechanisms and monad transformer infrastructure.