Combinator library

<p>A combinator library is a <a href="/facts/Library_(computing)/xRzL3P7q">software library</a> which implements <a href="/facts/Combinatory_logic/D7NNo4xT">combinatory logic</a> as combinators, for a <a href="/facts/Functional_programming/cdxqPEIM">functional</a> <a href="/facts/Programming_language/cWTYbgWa">programming language</a>: "the key idea is this: a combinator library offers functions (the combinators) that combine functions together to make bigger functions". These kinds of libraries are particularly useful for allowing <a href="/facts/Domain-specific_language/n18H1foD">domain-specific languages</a> to be easily embedded into a general purpose language by defining a few primitive <a href="/facts/Function_(computer_programming)/9vFJrg0A">functions</a> for the given domain and turning over the task of expanding higher-level constructs to the general language. An example would be the <a href="/facts/Monad_(functional_programming)/kYazRoF1">monadic</a> <a href="/facts/Parsec_(parser)/sDckhoVv">Parsec parser</a> for <a href="/facts/Haskell/ydEsHuGy">Haskell</a>. The library approach allows the parsers to be <a href="/facts/First-class_object/N6tFtEUU">first-class</a> citizens of the language.
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Combinator library open-in-new

Combinator library