Part 1. Getting started

Learning a new programming language is difficult for several reasons: there’s a new syntax to learn, some potentially new concepts, and maybe a new paradigm. Most of all, it’s difficult because a new language makes you feel like a novice again. Unless you stick with it and gain some experience, even a simple task will seem like a chore. Your incentive to stick with it, is knowing that the reward at the end of your labor will be worth the work.

Clojure is such a language. It may appear daunting at first, especially given the different syntax. State changes work differently in Clojure, so that’s an adjustment. It’s a functional programming language, so you need to get used to thinking in terms of functions. If you’re coming from an OO background, then you have to structure your application code in a somewhat different way. These are only a few of the new things you have to deal with as you learn Clojure.

The reward at the end of all this effort is worth it. Learning Clojure, as is the case with any Lisp, is worth the effort for the profound enlightenment you’ll have when you finally “get it.” It will change the way you think about programming, no matter which language you use.

This part of the book will guide you through an introduction to the language. When you finish these seven chapters, you’ll be ready to tackle some nontrivial programs of your own. So take a deep breath, and dive in!