In this section of our guide to computer programming languages, we will be highlighting the Koka programming language, developed by Microsoft Research.
Designed and developed by Microsoft researchers, the language was first released on April 13, 2012, and is still under active development. As of this writing, the most recent version came out on January 25, 2024, less than two weeks ago.
While Koka stands on its own, it draws inspiration from languages like Haskell, ML, and Scala. Both Koka and Haskell emphasize purity and strong typing, but Koka's effect system provides a more disciplined approach to handling effects.
A strongly typed, functional-style language, the design strategy of Koka revolves around combining expressive power with rigorous type systems, making it an intriguing choice for both researchers and practitioners.
Koka's features include effect types and handlers, first-class functions, a polymorphic type system, algebraic data types, and composable language features.
Koka introduces effect types and handlers, allowing developers to track the effects of every function in its type. This distinction between pure and effectful computations ensures robust semantics and ease of reasoning for both programmers and compilers.
Embracing first-class functions, Koka enables higher-order programming and functional composition, and its type system supports polymorphism, which allows for flexible and reusable code. Algebraic data types provide for defining structured data, and Koka's core features are designed to be as general as possible, avoiding the need for special extensions.
The unique features of Koka make it well-suited for various applications, such as advanced control abstractions, systems programming, and functional-style programming. The language's blend of functional programming, effect tracking, and efficient compilation make it a good choice for developers exploring new paradigms or building performance-critical systems. As a comparatively new programming language, additional innovation might be expected in the future.
Recommended Resources
GitHub: Koka Language and Related Tools
This is the official GitHub repository for the Koka language and related tools, utilities, and documentation. It includes seven repositories at this time. Available via the Apache License, the Koka language and source is free software that can be redistributed or modified. GitHub hosts repositories for software, including programming languages, allowing development community members to collaborate in developing and maintaining the language. Contributors are identified, as well.
https://github.com/koka-lang
The official website for the Koka programming language is hosted by GitHub. Koka is described as a strongly typed, functional language with effect types and handlers. The core of Koka consists of a small set of well-studied language features, like first-class functions, a polymorphic type- and effect system, algebraic data types, and effect handlers. Its core concepts and installation instructions via the VS Code editor and via manual installation are stated, along with code examples.
https://koka-lang.github.io/
Koka Programming Language, The
Written by Daan Leijen, this is the documentation for the Koka programming language. It includes instructions for installing the compiler (manually or via the VS Code editor), running the compiler, and an introduction to the language. A tour of Koka includes the basics, effect types, data types, effect handlers, and FBIP. Other information includes language specifications, references, and full grammar specifications, with lexical and context-free syntax.
https://koka-lang.github.io/koka/doc/book.html
On April 13, 2012, Microsoft Research announced and provided an introduction to the Koka programming language, which was developed by Microsoft researchers. A list of publications referencing the Koka language is listed, with links to their text in PDF format and a link to the download page of the language on its GitHub repository. Links to other resources include a page illustrating the advantages of using Koka, a link to the Koka book, and the official GitHub repository site.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/koka/
The Programming Language DataBase (PLDB) provides data and information about various programming languages, including the Koka language, serving as a computable encyclopedia for programming languages. Koka is an open-source programming language created in 2012 by Daan Leijen. Instructions for getting its source code are given, with links to other Koka resources, Koka keywords, and an example of a simple program written in Koka is included, along with examples of several other Koka features.
https://pldb.pub/concepts/koka.html
