Haskell: Monads vs Futures

What are the main differences between monads and futures in Haskell?

Monads are a design pattern for handling computations, while futures represent values that may not be available yet, often used for asynchronous programming.

Can you give an example of how to use a monad in Haskell?

Sure! A common example is the 'Maybe' monad, which handles computations that might fail. Here's a simple usage:

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

How do futures work in Haskell?

Futures in Haskell can be implemented using libraries like 'async'. They allow you to run computations in parallel and retrieve results later. For example:

import Control.Concurrent.Async

main = do
    futureResult <- async (someLongComputation)
    result <- wait futureResult
    print result

Which one should I use for my project?

It depends on your needs. Use monads for managing side effects and chaining computations, and futures for handling asynchronous tasks.