How can I handle errors in Haskell using functional programming?

How can I handle errors in Haskell using functional programming?

In Haskell, you can handle errors using types like Maybe and Either. Maybe represents a value that might be absent, while Either can represent a value or an error.

Can you give me an example of using Maybe for error handling?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

safeDivide :: Double -> Double -> Maybe Double
safeDivide _ 0 = Nothing
safeDivide x y = Just (x / y)

This function returns Nothing if the divisor is zero, preventing a runtime error.

What about using Either for more detailed error messages?

You can use Either to provide more context about the error. For example:

safeDivide :: Double -> Double -> Either String Double
safeDivide _ 0 = Left "Cannot divide by zero"
safeDivide x y = Right (x / y)

This way, you can return a descriptive error message.

Are there libraries in Haskell that help with error handling?

Yes, libraries like transformers and mtl provide monad transformers that can help manage errors more effectively in a functional style.